Pokémon Legends: Arceus has players talking about how scary Pokémon actually are

Written by. Nick Mosier based on the original Japanese article (original article’s publication date: 2022-02-03 10:14 JST)

Since Pokémon Legends: Arceus launched, players have been discussing just how scary Pokémon are. One of the standout features of the game is the feeling of each Pokémon being right there in front of you. But the more violent among them attacking without discretion seems to have struck fear into the hearts of some players.

There is no dying in Pokémon Legends: Arceus, even after being mauled by a Pokémon. But when you take too much damage, your vision turns red and you drop some items before waking up at a base camp. Rather than horror, it’s more like showing the dangers of nature and the wild animals within it. Within the game’s world, the idea that Pokémon are scary creatures is also prevalent. This kind of world building also drives home the point that Pokémon are wild and can be terrifying.

On Twitter, a number of players have been tweeting about just how scary Pokémon are in Pokémon Legends: Arceus. And one Pokémon that has players all around the world running away in fear is the mushroom Pokémon Paras. On Reddit, Paras is being called everything from scary to a nuisance across a number of comments and threads.

Paras appears in many areas from the beginning stages and into later parts of the game. There’s also an Alpha version of Parasect, the evolved form of Paras, in an early part of the game, and players that let their guard down may find themselves surrounded by Paras and Parasect if they get too close. Paras and Parasect are both Pokémon that are controlled by the parasitic mushrooms on their backs, which have drained them of all their nutrients. Imagining being attacked by one of these is maybe a bit more gruesome than one would typically expect from Pokémon.

There are also Pokémon that are just plain scary due to their combat abilities. Take Kleavor for example. Each of its arms look like they could chop a person right down the middle. There’s also a scene where it cuts a thick tree in two with a single strike. It’s like something approaching Monster Hunter territory rather than Pokémon.

And then there’s Snorlax. A force of nature that towers over the human characters in the game. Players have taken to Twitter to upload their scary encounters with an Alpha Snorlax. A Pokémon normally known for peacefully sleeping in the road, Snorlax now has glowing red eyes and attacks everyone without mercy.

There’s even a Kricketune in the early game sending players cowering in fear with Hyper Beam attacks. It cares not whether you’re Pokémon or human, it’s going to blast you with Hyper Beam. It’s no wonder the other villagers fear Pokémon so much. You have to tip your hat to Galaxy Team as they try to tame this wild land.

Players in Japan have also been calling numerous other Pokémon like Rapidash, Ursaring, and Machamp scary. I guess if you really think about it, they’re basically a flaming horse, a giant bear, and a 4-armed muscleman. Of course, approaching any of those things would be scary. But seeing just how threatening Pokémon can really be is part of the appeal of the game. That, and the joy of catching those big scary creatures.

Pokémon Legends: Arceus is now available for the Nintendo Switch. If you want to see how scary and fascinating Pokémon are for yourself, give it a try.