By: JUSTIN ONEAL
Staff Writer
On February 27th, Pokémon fans worldwide will be commemorating the launch of the very first Pokémon games. As much as this topic has already been talked about, personally nice to make my own credibility argument. In 2022, Pokémon fans were blessed with Legend Arceus on January 28, and months later Pokemon Scarlet & violet came out for fans to enjoy. The last time this happened was in 2004 when Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen were released and soon later, Emerald came out. Legend Arceus and Scarlet Violet are both different takes on Pokémon. One takes place in the pre-time and future. This argument will be discussing the plot, gameplay, game performance, music, and customization freedom.
In Legend; Arceus, the game follows the protagonist, sent back through time, as they through the Hisui region, with one ultimate goal in mind: seek all pokemon. Scarlet and violet’s story takes a different approach. You’re a transfer student at the Paldea region’s school and, during the school’s annual treasure hunt, you find yourself going on three adventures- Victory Road Path of Legends and Starfall Street. Overall, Scarlet and Violet have a more strong and more beautiful plot than Legend Arceus. You get to make a deeper connection with the main cast of characters. Gameplay-wise, Legend Arceus has a more fun gameplay loop than Scarlet and violet. It takes a different take on catching pokemon in the pre-time.
There’s no argument for what game has the better game performance. Due to Pokemon Scarlet and Violet being released in the same year as pokemon Legend Arecus, the game was rushed, poorly optimized, and frankly unacceptable in the eyes of pokemon fans. Some reports claim GameFreak(the developers of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet) rushed development, perhaps in an effort to ensure the games hit the shelves just before Thanksgiving and the holiday season to produce more sales. Both games have good shares of music respectfully in their own settings but Legend Arceus has better customization freedom.
In conclusion, I believe that Pokemon Legend Arceus is the better game out of the two. But frankly, my opinion doesn’t result in what game you should play. Both games have their ups and downs but are still enjoyable to play.