Since Pokémon‘s next big thing, Pokémon Legends: Arceus, is releasing in just a few short days, it’s time for it to look to the future, and that future needs a VR title. Although it’s far too early to say what Gen 9 will hold, being able to capture, train, and battle Pokémon in a virtual world sounds like a very exciting prospect. It’s possible that the next game is already underway, but whatever it is, hopefully it at least has VR support if it’s not a full VR game.
The Pokémon series has been very simplistic in the 25 years since its creation. The games are fun and enjoyable, but they’ve repeated the same features and tropes for far too long, which hasn’t been broken until the soon-to-be-released Pokémon Legends: Arceus, which recently leaked new Hisuian forms. It promises a brand-new experience for first-time and returning fans alike, one that breaks the mold of what the series has done thus far. There’s been little innovation on the Pokémon company’s part otherwise, however, despite the fanbase crying out for it at every opportunity.
In order to keep its old fans and attract new ones, Pokémon needs to keep innovating. A VR game could be just the thing it needs in order to keep up with the demands of the players, and it could also be the series’ best game yet. What form it would take, if it would be a Pokémon Legends: Arceus port, a mainline game, a remake, or something new entirely, is impossible to predict, but whatever it is, the news would likely come as a delight to those Pokémon fans with a VR headset.
Pokémon Needs Something New After Legends: Arceus
For far too long, Pokémon has been starving for innovation. Even in the Pokémon TCG, new and powerful mechanics have been scarce. The company has chosen time and again to rely on nostalgia instead of implementing anything new. Aside from a few spin-offs, the only truly new thing that the series has done is Legends: Arceus, and while it does look like it will finally change things up a little, there needs to be more. Pokémon needs to experiment with new features and elements, perhaps even new genres, in order to satisfy its fans. After Legends: Arceus releases, players will inevitably ask what’s next, so the company needs to strike while the iron is hot and keep innovating.
A VR game could be the perfect way for Pokémon to show its fans that it’s done doing the same thing over and over. Sword & Shield prepared Pokémon for Nintendo Switch, and similarly, an experimental new title could bring the series into virtual reality. It would not only signal an expansion into another new medium (the first being handheld to console), but it would also be something completely new for the series. Building on the momentum that Pokémon Legends: Arceus is generating seems like the smartest move for the company, and something as groundbreaking as VR, especially since it’s rapidly becoming a big part of the world of gaming, would likely be welcomed by fans growing tired of the series’ repetition.
A Pokémon VR Game Makes Perfect Sense
A series like Pokémon, which has primarily been depicted either from a top-down or third-person view, may seem difficult to adapt to virtual reality, but the transfer could be easier than one might think. Pokémon Legends: Arceus‘ newest gameplay preview recently revealed that it will have the option of a first-person viewpoint, which means that any possible future VR games have a basis to work off of, and the series could adapt to it well. The turn-based battle system, even when it’s taken on a new form like it will in Legends: Arceus, would also be a good fit for VR due to its simplicity and easy implementation. There’s also the fact that movement in virtual reality is something that’s been awkward so far, so Pokémon‘s gentle pace could be a good fit.
Features aside, Pokémon could also fit well into VR due to its genre. Creature capture is the name of the game for the series, and going around capturing and collecting all of the various monsters in the various regions could go from fun to stunning in VR. Pokémon Legends: Arceus‘ catching mechanics are more complicated than past games, but they also promise to be the best, and VR could expand on them. Throwing a Poké Ball with one’s own hands, interacting with players’ beloved partners, and exploring the beautiful sceneries that Legends: Arceus has proved that Pokémon is capable of are all things that would be great to see. Even without a host of new features to accompany it, a VR title has the potential to make players feel like a Pokémon trainer, especially if it lets them keep their full Poké Balls on their belt or the strap of their Bag.
Legends: Arceus And Pokémon Snap Would Make Great VR Ports
If there were ever a VR Pokémon game, there are a few possibilities for what it would be. The company could choose to continue with innovation, or nostalgia could win out just like it has so many times in the past. Many fans want sequels for Pokémon Black & White, not remakes, either of which could set the tone for the series going forward. Players could get a VR port of Legends: Arceus, which the aforementioned first-person option supports. New Pokémon Snap could also be a great VR game, but there are other options. It could possibly be the next mainline game or a remake of an older one, although Gen 9 and any remakes that accompany it are unlikely to be VR-exclusive, so if that were the case, they would probably be another port. There’s even the possibility that it’s something completely new and unexpected that will bring even more innovation to a series that hasn’t had enough.
How good each of these options would be is debatable, and which one would be best is impossible to say. The remake could be the weakest one, since the past few have been disappointing, but hopefully the next Pokémon game to be remade will be better. The next mainline game would depend on whether or not it was designed with the VR port in mind, so it could vary in terms of quality. Anything truly new would be the same, since many factors such as the genre, features, battle system would affect the gameplay. A possible VR port of Legends: Arceus could be the best, since it’s already innovative and has many features that could allow it to be an even better experience than it will be on console, so fans might just be able to play Pokémon Legends: Arceus in virtual reality one day.