Revisiting Pokémon Legends: Arceus before this preview of its sort-of-sequel, Pokémon Legends: Z-A, I couldn’t help but be struck by its almost singular eeriness. Legends: Arceus is deathly quiet, thanks in part to the total lack of voice acting – a long-running Pokémon quirk continued again here in Z-A, even in the lengthy cutscene we were shown at the start of the preview – but also, more intentionally and more interestingly, because of its environment. Legends: Arceus was set in the ghostly wilds of Hisui. A cold, unwelcoming, frequently haunted corner of Pokémon’s take on the Japanese region. It made sense to dial into the sounds of swaying grass and gusting wind, the braying Ponyta, the heavy footsteps of human travellers in untamed lands. What an odd game, with such an odd vibe. I kind of loved it.
