Pokémon Legends: Arceus gives players a more savage look at the Pokémon universe than any other game to date, and demonstrates just how violent it can be. While the game is still kid-friendly and not graphic, it does shine a light on aspects of the world that other titles in the series have ever really explored. Due to the unique setting of Hisui, Legend: Arceus can show players this new side of Pokémon.
Pokémon Legends: Arceus takes place in a time far before the main games in the series, before Pokémon and humans were accustomed to living together. Most people only saw Pokémon as terrifying-wild beasts. Even a formerly unassuming Pokémon such as Paras can be terrifying in Pokémon Legends: Arceus. Although the Pokémon themselves are not redesigned to be more frightening, the behavior that they exhibit in the game does give players enough reason to understand why the people of Hisui feel the way they do.
In a way, Pokémon Legends: Arceus could be considered one of the most high-stakes games in the series with the constant danger that the protagonist is in. Only the Pokémon Colosseum subseries can really match the level of hazards faced by the hero. Hisui is definitely the most dangerous Pokémon region for several reasons.
Hisui's Wild Pokémon Are Aggressive And Willing To Attack Humans
In Legends: Arceus, there are a few different types of behavior exhibited by wild Pokémon. Some are more or less apathetic to what the player does around them, while others will panic and run away when they detect the player. However, there are some that, upon noticing the player, will become aggressive. Pokémon Legends: Arceus is similar to Monster Hunter more so than past Pokémon games in this sense. Aggressive Pokémon will approach the player and attack once they get in range. They cannot be caught normally once they engage the player. The player must either engage them in battle or dodge their attacks and run away until it is safe to continue.
This is the first instance of a human player character being attacked by a Pokémon in the games as a regular mechanic, as in most games they will only fight the player's own Pokémon. Being attacked by wild Pokémon is not a mere inconvenience, either. If the player takes too much damage, then they will fall unconscious in the wilderness, requiring a rescue team to come and save them. As strange as it may sound, a cowardly approach in Pokémon Legends: Arceus will do much to keep the player safe. Although the only gameplay effects of this are that the player will lose some of their items and be taken back to base camp, the situation is enough to show that the land of Hisui is a far more dangerous place than any other region in the Pokémon games.
Never before have players had to worry about being attacked by Pokémon when they were out traveling in the games. They may have come across more random encounters than were convenient, or accidentally challenged a tough trainer, but in those cases, the protagonist could simply recall their defeated Pokémon and run away. In Legends: Arceus, they are effectively helpless aside from their own Pokémon, and that raises the stakes dramatically.
People In Legends: Arceus Live In Fear Of Pokémon
In Pokémon Legends: Arceus, it's clear that the people of Jubilife Village fear Pokémon. Rampaging, angry Pokémon in Legends: Arceus are admittedly a threat. However, seeing the people of Hisui be so unfamiliar and uncomfortable with Pokémon is definitely odd to longtime fans. Most of them are afraid to leave the village for fear of being attacked by a wild Pokémon. This is shown in an early mission where a woman in the village wants to see a Starly because she thinks that they're cute. However, once the player brings one to show her, she can't bring herself to pet it out of fear, despite Starly being a small and adorable bird Pokémon.
The main exception to the common fear of Pokémon comes in the form of the Galaxy Expedition Team that the player joins early in the story. They catch and research Pokémon, and know how to partner with them for exploration and battles. They also hand out the research tasks that drive Pokémon Legends: Arceus' Pokédex, showing their commitment to increasing knowledge of Pokémon. While they are a little closer to the series' norm than most of the villagers, they still show a stark contrast to the rest of the games. In most Pokémon titles, anyone in the world can be a Pokémon trainer. However, in Legends: Arceus, training Pokémon is restricted to only certain highly-trained and specialized individuals. That makes the Pokémon of Hisui seem even more exotic and intimidating.
It is the reaction of the people of Hisui when faced with the topic of Pokémon that really sells the sense of intimidation that they still possessed at the time. Even relatively weak Pokémon such as Buizel and Geodude were seen as threats. Although as time goes on and the player completes more of the Pokédex, more of the townsfolk will become more interested in Pokémon. A man who asks the player to catch a big Buizel for him in Pokémon Legends: Arceus is just one example of the people's growing curiosity. Perhaps the protagonist is an important first step in normalizing Pokémon among the people of Hisui.
Pokémon Legends: Arceus Features Untamed Wilderness
In past games in the Pokémon series, even in areas outside of towns, there was a predictability that players could expect. They could avoid wild Pokémon encounters by staying out of tall grass. Pokémon would not jump out at the player as they walk along paths, and even in later games where they are visible in the overworld, they usually do not bother the player directly. Those habits gave a feeling of order even among wild Pokémon.
Legends: Arceus breaks from the Pokémon series' norm in several ways. Every area that isn't Jubilife Village or a base camp is filled with wild Pokémon. They appear on paths, in tall grass, and frequently in areas where players will want to go in order to gather materials. The player can't ignore them, because the aggressive ones will come after them as soon as they catch their eye. The only options are to surprise them with Poké Balls or bring some strong Pokémon to protect themselves. It takes away the predictability that longtime fans have come to expect from the series.
Pokémon Legends: Arceus has a bit of a scary element in knowing that monsters will attack the player character, and they have no weapons or powers to protect themselves. Especially frightening is the fact that their only hope of defense is the same kinds of creatures that were attacking them prior. The fact that catching Pokémon in Legends: Arceus is more complicated than usual for the series adds to the tension. It is a drastic difference from the bond between trainer and Pokémon that embodies the rest of the series. This is reflected in the fact that, unlike most Pokémon games, the player cannot nickname their Pokémon to characterize them further.
In Legends: Arceus, Pokémon are not seen as the lovable monster friends that fans have come to know them as. To the people of Jubilife, Pokémon are mysterious, scary, and even violent, and the player will see that side in the wilderness of Hisui. In Pokémon Legends: Arceus, training Pokémon isn't just a goal, it's a vital skill to survive.
