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Pokémon Legends: Arceus | 13 Minutes Gameplay Preview

Mozza

Member
This honestly looks much worse than Arceus.
Yes always good when they complain about the visuals of a game, then post some some fan made rubbish that is supposed to show the developer he it should be done, more self defeating than anything else. ;)
 
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Kacho

Gold Member
These threads, always so entertaining, never want to miss em.
I didn’t follow a thing when the hype cycle for Diamond/Pearl was popping. Was it anywhere near this bad?

Think I’ll cop this at launch since it’s different and I haven’t touched a Pokémon since Sw/Sh. Need some Pokémon in my life.
 
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Mozza

Member
I didn’t follow a thing when the hype cycle for Diamond/Pearl were popping. Was it anywhere near this bad?

Think I’ll cop this at launch since it’s different and I haven’t touched a Pokémon since Sw/Sh. Need some Pokémon in my life.
Never caught the Diamond/Pearl thread, but I will guess it was just as much fun, Pokemon tends to bring out the best and worst in people on forums.

Certainly a game I will be getting at launch, liked the 3D sections in Sword and shield, so this is expands on those and looks pretty sweet to me.
 
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Larxia

Member
It's really not about dated technology anymore, this game has a big art direction problem.
I agree that graphic techs don't do everything, but you at least need a good art direction to make up for the tech aspect. Plenty of ps2 era games still look pretty good once rendered in HD, and definitely look miles better than Arceus.

The problem with Arceus is that everything looks soul less, it really just looks like some generic flat areas generated automatically in Unity with cheap assets, I just really don't get it.
It's fine that not everything has to look "amazing", but here it looks so bad, empty, generic, that it just doesn't make me want to explore anything, because you take one look at an area and you've already seen everything it will have to offer. I don't see how someone can defend this game's visuals, especially when there are games looking 100 times better on the same console, so the Switch thing isn't an excuse.
 
It's a $60 first party title from a multi billion dollar selling gaming franchise based on the highest grossing media franchise in the world. The only reason it looks this horrible is because Gamefreak/Nintendo don't give a shit and know they can sell a ton with minimum effort.

And it's not just the "art style" it's the horrible cheap look of it all. The empty and monotonous locations, the horrible foliage, the N64 era textures on many surfaces, the fact the half the "town" is the exact same building just copy&pasted a bunch of times.


If you go to the hottest Italian restaurant in town, pay $25 for a plate of pasta and they bring you some store bought pasta with ketchup:
spaghetti-with-ketchup-picture-id1001398276

Are you going to be like "well I can't tell if this is well made. Maybe the chef put a lot of effort into pouring ketchup on this pasta."

Come on dude at least the chef cooked that pasta. Don’t do them dirty and compare them to Game Freak.
 
  • LOL
Reactions: Fbh

theclaw135

Banned
Well, extremists always ruin discussions regardless of which side they're at.
I think some criticism is definitely valid, but people tend to focus on the wrong things and even claim absurd things.
  • There are hundreds of Pokemons, the developer would be dumb to *not* recycle 3D models and animations for multiple games
  • The graphics get the job done, it's a mixed bag in more open areas but they look great in smaller areas.
  • Grinding is fine and expected.

Also, cute Lum

lum-gif-12.gif

I suppose reusing models is unavoidable. Just not THESE models. The Switch is completely, dramatically more powerful on every level.

This isn't the place to psychoanalyze, just know the rabbit hole of the extremism is alive and well.
 

Inviusx

Member
An open world Pokemon game that is locked to Switch and made by Gamefreak is truly the most cruel monkey paw of them all.
 

theclaw135

Banned
An open world Pokemon game that is locked to Switch and made by Gamefreak is truly the most cruel monkey paw of them all.

Sadly, they've regressed. Ruby and Sapphire had a huge contiguous area. Most routes had NO loading zones. Without hallways or gate houses to disguise it.
 

Tams

Gold Member
I've pre-ordered it. Not sure why, but I saw it in a shop and they were offering some keychain tat that I'm a sucker for.

Only really the ground and water textures look bad. Quite a bit of the game, but it's not the gameplay so...
 

Mozza

Member
The fanbase isn't wrong about the company's dishonesty.
But they're becoming what they hate in defending the grinding, recycled content, subpar graphics and all, to the end.
They are not objectively right either, and the word fanbase is a vey broad term as well, sure there will be an element of the older players who are upset, but not all of them, and the masses will just get on with is oblivious to any of the issues, or the fact they are being discussed in the first place.
 

Y0ssarian

Banned
I was optimistic about this game. I ignored all the hate online. A pseudo open world Pokemon game! and this was one of my most looked forward to Switch games this year. But after watching that video it genuinely does look like ass.
 
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Ryu Kaiba

Member
I love Pokemon but wish it was a smaller franchise so Game Freak couldn't get away with such low effort productions like this.
Or if no studio partially owned it and Pokemon company had to license it out to different studios, then there would be fierce competition.

its quite clear they're choosing to milk the franchise with as little effort as possible.
Our only hope is some chinese company just rips it right off and makes there own.
 

Inviusx

Member
I love Pokemon but wish it was a smaller franchise so Game Freak couldn't get away with such low effort productions like this.
Or if no studio partially owned it and Pokemon company had to license it out to different studios, then there would be fierce competition.

its quite clear they're choosing to milk the franchise with as little effort as possible.
Our only hope is some chinese company just rips it right off and makes there own.

Other studios make Pokemon games, it isn't just Gamefreak. The real problem is that the games are forever bound to Nintendo's shitty hardware.
 

Fbh

Member
Uh, the visuals, locations and art direction...

Some people take art direction for granted, but it's something that's really difficult to get right and make it consistent.

One main thing that those fan concepts/games always get wrong is the lighting.
Unreal Engine's lighting and particles are great for photorealistic games, but without some tweaking it looks really bad for stylized games.

And honestly, if the concept itself already runs at 10 fps, imagine if it was a real game with collision, AI, long draw distances running on a Switch with a Tegra APU.
Well opinions I guess.

It definitely has the inconsistencies of a fan made project, but overall I think it looks way nicer than Arceus with its ugly art direction, lazy locations and washed out look. The pokemon in this actually look like they belong in the world, Arceus looks like the people making the environments and the models didn't even talk to each other..

As for the framerate, it's not really intended for to be a real game so I don't really see the issue. There's good examples of Switch games with cartoony visuals that looks a gen ahead of Arceus and perform well, like Dragon Quest XI S.
 

Elysion

Banned
My biggest issue with the game is that I don’t know what we’re supposed to be doing other than beating wild Pokémon. There’s no Pokémon league, no gym battles, no towns or cities to explore other than the starting village, no other trainers as far as I can see. This is either going to get boring really fast, or the game is much shorter than expected.

If the game consists only of empty wilderness, then I wish they’d combined it with Pokémon Snap. An open world Pokémon Snap could’ve been pretty cool (and probably would’ve looked much more pleasing if it was done by Namco). GF should’ve put all resources into making a proper open world mainline Pokémon game, instead of wasting time with this spin-off.

This also makes me wonder how far away the next mainline Pokémon games are. It’s been over two years between this and Sw/Sh; does this mean the next mainline games won’t be out before 2024? That would be the biggest gap between gens in the series’ history. I assume B/W remakes come before that, but they’re probably gonna outsource that to another studio like with with the gen 4 remakes.
 

Ryu Kaiba

Member
Other studios make Pokemon games, it isn't just Gamefreak. The real problem is that the games are forever bound to Nintendo's shitty hardware.
I disagree, as there are plenty of examples of ambitious games on the Switch. I'm not asking for 4K 120fps, I want something more inspired and made with passion. I can see there were some notes taken from Breath of the Wild, I wish it were more like that than some Unity fan made game.

The people apologizing for it have no imagination for what it could and should be.
 
Seriously though, how many polygons should those 3D models have so that people will finally accept them as good?
Looking at the trailer, even if you double the poly count most people wouldn't be able to tell the difference.
It's not only about the polygons, the textures look incredibly muddy, and the game just has a really ugly beige coloration.
Sonic is also doing an open world game with Sonic Frontiers, except that game actually looks like a truly next gen game despite Sonic being a lower grossing than Pokemon, hell Zelda Breath of the Wild came YEARS prior and that game looks better.
 
In all fairness, Zelda was in development since the WiiU era.
Also, Nintendo had to go all out for both Zelda and Mario, because if they failed then it could really kill Switch's sales and reputation.

I get your point, but we never know. Maybe this game is a precursor to something bigger.
It's the first time they're doing something more open and dynamic. Their next entry could be an improved, more refined version.
Then again Zelda BoTW was also an attempt at something new, so was Mario Odyssey and so will be Sonic Frontiers and Kirby and the Forgotten Land yet they all look like something with an actual high budget.
We can ask all the questions we want, but if graphics is at the top of your list, that's not a problem. It's pokemon, it has the same kind of visuals you'd think a pokemon game has.
It's not the kind of graphics a Pokemon game should have. Mario, Sonic, Kirby and Zelda were never about graphics either yet they're newer mainline entries actually live up to next gen expectations. While we all know gameplay is the most important part of a game, graphics that look GOOD ENOUGH are also important for the overall experience. Pokemon is below good enough.
 
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jaysius

Banned
My biggest issue with the game is that I don’t know what we’re supposed to be doing other than beating wild Pokémon. There’s no Pokémon league, no gym battles, no towns or cities to explore other than the starting village, no other trainers as far as I can see. This is either going to get boring really fast, or the game is much shorter than expected.

If the game consists only of empty wilderness, then I wish they’d combined it with Pokémon Snap. An open world Pokémon Snap could’ve been pretty cool (and probably would’ve looked much more pleasing if it was done by Namco). GF should’ve put all resources into making a proper open world mainline Pokémon game, instead of wasting time with this spin-off.

This also makes me wonder how far away the next mainline Pokémon games are. It’s been over two years between this and Sw/Sh; does this mean the next mainline games won’t be out before 2024? That would be the biggest gap between gens in the series’ history. I assume B/W remakes come before that, but they’re probably gonna outsource that to another studio like with with the gen 4 remakes.
There are wardens of areas kind of like gym battles.
 

theclaw135

Banned
Seriously though, how many polygons should those 3D models have so that people will finally accept them as good?
Looking at the trailer, even if you double the poly count most people wouldn't be able to tell the difference.

Also, I've always liked Shinobu better. Was disappointed with the manga's ending
tumblr_p4qcw8obwh1qc7efmo1_500.gif

Come on. A 20 million selling Switch game can be better, than reusing models that were already hit or miss on 3DS.

Zoom in closer on the Pokemon anatomy. Finer details such as Natu's nose are objectively off-model to the 90s stock art.

The manga going with that *exact* ending. It wasn't either hope enough, or punishment enough.
 

Y0ssarian

Banned
My biggest issue with the game is that I don’t know what we’re supposed to be doing other than beating wild Pokémon. There’s no Pokémon league, no gym battles, no towns or cities to explore other than the starting village, no other trainers as far as I can see. This is either going to get boring really fast, or the game is much shorter than expected.
Have you played Monster Hunter Stories on 3DS? I imagine story will be similar to that
 

Smasher89

Member
My biggest issue with the game is that I don’t know what we’re supposed to be doing other than beating wild Pokémon. There’s no Pokémon league, no gym battles, no towns or cities to explore other than the starting village, no other trainers as far as I can see. This is either going to get boring really fast, or the game is much shorter than expected.
Its said you are supposed to make the first sinnoh pokedex, and i think that means completing entries with their behaviour too. If it's really that i can see this going kinda wild with the ghost pokemon with horrorstories all over. Kinda doubt it goes that deep but still the part of the focus.
 

Bragr

Banned
It's strange, but there are so many that haven't caught up to the fact that the devs of the Pokemon games are not the best, they have been struggling to innovate for 20 years. They are clinging on to the first few games that worked well, but trying new stuff like this? open-world? don't keep your hopes up, the more new stuff they try, the more they are gonna run into problems.
 

Kamina

Golden Boy
While this cant compare to the visuals of BotW, i am sure it will look good enough on the Switch screen. Not planing on playing this docked much anyway.
Beyond that I am looking very much forward on playing this day 0.
 
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