Pokemon Legends Arceus is changing up the battle system

Pokemon Legends Arceus
(Image credit: The Pokemon Company)

Pokemon Legends Arceus is changing the turn-based battle style in a big way.

Earlier today a brand new Pokemon Presents showcase debuted from The Pokemon Company, treating us to new footage and information on Pokemon Legends Arceus. Buried within the new gameplay footage was the reveal of a retooled battle system, where players can utilize Agile Style to pull off multiple moves in a row, or Strong Style, with powerful moves that act as finishing blows.

This is a major departure for Pokemon Legends Arceus, but then again, the new game from The Pokemon Company has always looked as though it would be changing things up significantly. As for the rest of today's showing of the new game, you can check out the gameplay trailer above, which introduces the player to their new mission in the feudal Sinnoh region.

In short, the player character will be embarking on a mission to complete the first ever PokeDex. Since the new game is set so far in the past of the Pokemon universe, humans are still adapting to live alongside the creatures roaming the land, so there's a lot of uncertainty surrounding Pokemon and their powers in the new game.

Additionally, The Pokemon Company also finally confirmed that Pokemon Legends Arceus is a fully open-world game. While we've previously guessed that the new game would be taking on an open-world form ever since the announcement trailer, today the developer finally confirmed the good news. There's a lot to like about Pokemon Legends Arceus, and it's launching next year on January 28 for the Nintendo Switch.

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Hirun Cryer

Hirun Cryer is a freelance reporter and writer with Gamesradar+ based out of U.K. After earning a degree in American History specializing in journalism, cinema, literature, and history, he stepped into the games writing world, with a focus on shooters, indie games, and RPGs, and has since been the recipient of the MCV 30 Under 30 award for 2021. In his spare time he freelances with other outlets around the industry, practices Japanese, and enjoys contemporary manga and anime.