Even dozens of hours intoPokémonScarlet, I still find myself daydreaming aboutPokémonLegends: Arceus.
Released in January 2022,PokémonLegends: Arceuswas therevelation the series had long waited for. It shook up the standard formula of Pokémon, emphasizing surveying environments, as well as hunting and capturing Pokémon, in a refreshing way for a series that had started to stagnate. As I continue to play throughPokémon Scarlet, I am starting to miss aspects ofPokémon Legends: Arceusmore and more. As a result, I find myself keeping my fingers crossed thatPokémonLegends: Arceuswill get support in the form of DLC beforeScarletandViolet.
Entering Pokémon’s DLC era
The concept of DLC or an expansion pass for mainline Pokémon games is relatively new, as the series previously opted for enhanced versions of previously released titles, likePokémonPlatinumorPokémonUltra SunandUltra Moon. Instead of going that route, though,PokémonSwordandShieldincreased its longevity by releasingtwo DLC packsthroughout 2020. These added large new areas for players to explore and stories for players to experience within them.
This DLC allowedPokémon SwordandShieldto to stay relevant, helping them become thebestselling pair of Pokemon gamessinceRedandBlue. If the current Pokémon generation cadence keeps up, the next mainline Pokémon game likely won’t release until 2025. As such, developer Game Freak needs to do what it can to increase the longevity of already released Pokémon games to fill that gap. It should start withPokémonLegends: Arceusbefore moving on toScarletandViolet.
Due to howPokémon Legends: Arceusis structured, an expansion can easily fit into the formula. An update could let players explore a new part of Sinnoh not covered in the main game. AlthoughPokémon Legends: Arceusis pretty thorough, there are still some gaps to fill. Areas to the far west remain unexplored in the game, leaving space for DLC to explore what would eventually become Canalave City, Twinleaf Town, and the Iron Islands. There’s also the far south, which leaves space for the player to establish an early version of Hearthome City.
And whilePokémon Legends: Arceusdoes feature every single Sinnoh legendary Pokemon in some form, there’s always the option of bringing in legendaries from other regions and potentially giving them Hisuian forms, introducing a brand new creature, or creating a new legendary altogether. No matter how Game Freak approaches a potentialPokémon Legends: Arceusexpansion, I would welcome more of its winning formula.
The feeling of slowly surveying a new area, discovering the variety of Pokémon within it, and throwing the right kind of Poke Ball is unmatched, even byPokémonScarletandViolet. I’ve thoroughly explored all five ofPokémon Legends Arceus‘ areas, though, so that first-time feeling is now fleeting. An expansion that follows up its core gameplay ideas would allow me to experience it all again for the first time.
Why Scarlet and Violet will probably get DLC
Two games stand in the way of that DLC dream:Pokémon ScarletandViolet. These gamesfeature some elements ofPokémon Legends: Arceus, as the Paldea region is an open world wher Pokémon naturally appear in the environment. While I am capturing more Pokémon than usual in these games, the fact that I must battle every time I want to catch one means that I don’t account for the environment as much. In turn, it doesn’t quite capture themonster-hunting gamesensibilities ofPokémon Legends: Arceus.
It’s also riddled with visual and technical issues that constantly dampen the experience just as you start to get immersed in the game’s world.Pokémon Legends: Arceusdidn’t look good, butPokémon ScarletandViolettake the series to a new low. Still, as the latest mainline Pokemon games, we’ll likely get aPokémonScarlet andVioletexpansion that contains new open-world areas to explore, with new Pokémon to find and challenges to complete.
I’ll still playPokémon ScarletandVioletDLC if it doeshappen, but I’d personally prefer that Game Freak sort out all of thoseglitches and technical issuesbefore a DLC is released,Cyberpunk 2077style.Pokémon ScarletandVioletaren’t bad video games; I find them quite fun and wouldn’t mind playing more of them through an expansion. Still, my time with Pokémon’s ninth generation has cemented the feeling that I want this series to return to the catching-focused formulaPokémon Legends: Arceusestablished.
In the short term, that would likely be through DLC padding out The Pokémon Company’s release schedule until the next generation of Pokémon games inevitably releases. In the long term, even if we never get DLC, I hope thatPokémon Legends: Arceus‘ formula isn’t a one-and-done deal for this long-running series.
