The highly anticipatedPokemon Legends: Arceusis releasing on Friday, and it’s already gotten strong reviews. The game is not without its flaws, but it does pushPokemonin a new direction just as it promised. Many reviewers are sayingArceusis the bestPokemongame yet, which, considering the franchise’s overwhelming popularity, sets the bar pretty high.
That said, there is one major complaint aboutPokemon Legends: Arceusthat keeps coming up. While the game does offer something new in terms of story, exploration, and mechanics, it didn’t make many improvements in the graphics department. Some players don’t think it’s a big deal because the most important thing is that it plays well, but others are tired ofPokemongames doing the bare minimum when it comes to visuals.Pokemongames could and should look better, so why don’t they?
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Fans Aren’t Happy with Pokemon Legends: Arceus' Graphics
There are a lot of reasons to be excited aboutPokemon Legends: Arceus.The game is taking the franchise in a fresh new direction by opening up the world, getting rid of traditional elements like gyms and tournaments, and implementingreal-time combat mechanics.Pokemongameshave pretty much stayed the same for decades, so these types of changes are a big deal. If reviews are any indication,Arceusintegrated a lot of these changes successfully.
Despite its apparent success, though, a lot of fans aren’t satisfied with thegraphics inPokemon Legends: Arceus.Their complaints are not without reason, either. Nintendo Switch games aren’t expected to have incredible, realistic graphics with a high frame-rate; that’s not the problem. However, gamers do expect that Switch games from major developers make the most of the available resources. No one is asking forArceusto look like a next-gen title, but it shouldn’t look as outdated as it does.
It’s worth acknowledging that art direction has a lot to do with graphics, and some complaints aboutPokemon Legends: Arceuscan be explained this way. Many fans are frustrated that the texture work isn’t up to scratch, claiming the game feels flat and lifeless. Others aren’t happy with the muted color palette. These are all valid criticisms, but it should be noted thatPokemon Legends: Arceusis going for an art style that resembles traditional Japanese watercolors. Many Japanese watercolors show grand, but muted landscapes with fuzzy, dreamy textures.
However, art direction doesn’t givePokemon Legends: Arceusa complete pass. Frame rate is a major problem in the game, and many fans have complained about the poor draw distance. Landscape elements pop in and out of the screen consistently, hindering immersion.Pokemon Legends: Arceusis more ambitious with its environmentthan any otherPokemongame, but the quality suffers as a result.
Despite the general art direction, a lot ofPokemonfans feel like the game’s graphics are simply lazy. Even if it is supposed to resemble a watercolor, there should still be texture and detail. Consideringhow massivePokemonis as a franchise, it’s frustrating for fans to feel like Game Freak doesn’t care about improving graphics.Pokemon Shining DiamondandBrilliant Pearlreceived similar criticism in late 2021, andSwordandShieldgraphics were outdated at launch in 2019. Three years later,Pokemon Legends: Arceusis only marginally better.
Pokemon Legends: Arceus Pales in Comparison to Other Switch Games
Subpar graphics are one thing where an outdated console is concerned, and the Nintendo Switch isn’t the most graphically powerful machine on the market by a long shot. However, the Switch is still current and supports many other games that have stunning graphics.The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wildcompares most directly toPokemon Legends: Arceus.
Breath of the Wildis a more ambitious game thanArceus.The open world is massive, and the landscapes are grand, but it doesn’t have the same issues with textures, details, and draw distance. The fact thatBreath of the Wild,a bigger and more demanding game (not to mention older), looks better thanArceusis pretty telling.
Kirby and the Forgotten Landis another good example.Kirbygames have always been cartoony, and they always will be. No one is asking for that to change, but theenvironment inKirby and the Forgotten Landis beautifully detailed. Snow, grass, dirt, and stone all have unique textures, whilePokemon Legends: Arceusalways looks the same. Kirby’s world is lush and vibrant whereas the world ofArceuslooks kind of empty. These other games are proof that the Nintendo Switch is capable of hosting a better-lookingPokemongame — Game Freak just hasn’t made it yet.
However,New Pokemon Snaplaunched in April 2021 with the most beautiful graphics ever seen in aPokemongame. WhilePokemon Snapis a smaller, very linear game, it gave players a taste of whatPokemongraphics could be. ThePokemonspin-off shouldn’t have better graphics than the game meant to revitalize the franchise, but that’s exactly what happened.Pokemon Legends: Arceuslooks like it doesn’t quite maximize the Switch’s graphical capabilities.
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Why Graphics Aren’t a Priority for Pokemon Games
Not every player has a problem with the graphics inPokemon Legends: Arceus. At the end of the day, the graphics don’t really impact the gameplay. Low frame rates can be frustrating, and the draw distance can be distracting, but the game is still about catchingPokemon.No player buysPokemongames to admire cutting-edge graphics; they buy them to catch, train, and battlePokemon.
There are several reasons why Game Freak and The Pokemon Company haven’t invested in better graphics, but it all boils down to one thing: they don’t really need to. As long as the games continue to sell and the fanbase continues to grow and buy otherPokemonmerchandise, Game Freak has done its job.Pokemonvideo games represent only a small part of the overall revenue, and there’s little reason to believe that stronger graphics would causePokemongames to fly off shelves faster than they already do.
For fans wishingPokemonwould prioritize better graphics, though, there is hope. Even thoughPokemon Legends: Arceusdidn’t push graphical boundaries, it did push a lot of other ones. It might not be the stunning, open-worldPokemongame fans dream of, but it is a step in the right direction.Pokemon Legends: Arceus,does put a fresh spinon the traditional formula like fans have been wanting. Maybe graphics are next.
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