This game is nonsense.

I originally started this game around the time it came out, and enjoyed it, but lost my copy. Fast forward to recently and I was able to grab a new copy and start anew. I was determined to finish this game, having lost it before but still retaining some nostalgia for it. I'd have been better off finishing it back then.

First off, the game is done in an isometric style. I've decided I don't like when I have to play isometric with a d-pad, there's way too much diagonal running so it always feels like you're fighting with the directions. But the problems don't stop there.

A heavy portion of the game is based on social interactions. This is The Sims after all, but without building, so all you have is:
- social interactions
- keeping needs satisfied
These 2 things work against each other. The social interactions are limited to 3-4 random options you can choose from at a time, some of which are either good or bad depending on what the person you're talking to likes or hates. You have to pick these and remember which ones each character appreciates. The responses are generic based on the response type, so you're not getting anything interesting here. Also, the phrases you pick from are very early 2000s cringe and sometimes even problematic. So none of this is fun (save for some of the Sim vocal sounds which are nostalgic and amusing sometimes) and you have to do a ton of it.

You'll spend a lot of time building up relationships, but you'll be constantly interrupted because you can't socialize if any of your needs are too low! Of course they decrease while socializing also, so many conversations are halted because you have to pee, or you're tired of standing, or you haven't showered. So you have to then run around the map to find where you can refill these needs, but once you get to that point you might as well turn in because if you just fix one and go back to chatting, your next need is soon to follow no doubt.

Adding on top of all that, the game is mission-based, which prompts a lot of this need to socialize, but finding who you need to talk to can be a big chore. Think of Stardew, except the only way you know what day of the week it is is to count up from Monday being Day 1. No weekday indicator (even though the concept is built into the actions of the sims you meet), and no fancy wiki like Stardew has to check which is what. I only made it through this game with the help of ancient gamefaqs forum posts and guides because it's a whole job to keep track of any of it yourself. And sometimes sims just aren't on the map, so you can't even find them. The phone in game is how you can find where people are (if they're there) but it always says they'll be at that spot for awhile even if they're about to leave.

Fortunately, there's a money cheat you can buy from a secret ninja. You have to meet them in one specific hour on either Friday or Monday, and it's a different hour and different spot on each of those days, so I had to cross reference a list of days that are either Monday or Friday and check their time. A mess, but it got me $5000 each time so it saved a ton of BS.

There're jobs in the game that you can make money doing. They're subpar minigames at best, but acceptable. Too much grinding for money though, so I was glad to have the cheat and only do the minigames when the missions required a certain level in those jobs.

And then there's the ending. I won't even bother explaining it here, check YouTube if you want, but suffice it to say that the ending is basically nothing. Amusing perhaps, but not worth the annoying grind of getting there.

Don't play this.

This game is fantastic. It's the first time I've felt like I'm really in a world inhabited by Pokémon. While Let's Go Pikachu/Eevee introduced Pokémon actually appearing on the overworld instead of as random encounters, and Sword and Shield lightly introduced the concept of an open area to explore and find wild Pokémon, they had their downsides - namely that Pokémon battles still took you to a new, separate battle screen (and Sword and Shield even stopped overworld Pokémon from revealing their shiny status, which means you aren't REALLY seeing the real Pokémon until you enter the battle screen).

Legends: Arceus perfected the setup for wild Pokémon. Not only are the Pokémon you encounter shown in their exact, real form, the battles also take place right in the world. This goes so far in making it feel like you're really in this world. Add in the fact that Pokémon can attack you directly, and things make a lot more sense.

There's a whole lot more the game does right. From the catching mechanics, to the battle system (which might need some tweaks but it's a nice step in a new direction), the mechanics are refreshingly updated here. But where the game really excels is making you want to explore the areas to find new Pokémon. You're encouraged to sneak up on Pokémon, meaning you'll have to strategize to catch them more than just weakening them as much as you can.

It's pretty clear that this is their first try at this new concept, as some execution does fall short. For one, it'd be nice if the open world areas weren't so segmented from each other. I'd like to be able to at least travel between them more easily, but ideally this game concept would evolve into a larger, entirely connected open world one day. At endgame, I'd like to be able to fly from one end of the map to the other using whatever flying Pokémon the game offers, no matter how long it takes to cross the map. Riding Pokémon could be a little smoother as well, as you're limited from doing things like sending out Pokémon to pick up materials, throwing Pokéballs at other Pokémon, etc. It's an odd limitation that feels a little clunky in execution. Finally, I'd really like to see a fully-orchestrated soundtrack. Some of the songs failed to deliver their full weight because of some of the instrumentation, and I'd like to see more. Pokémon Let's Go's soundtrack comes to mind here.

Overall, many of the ways that the game falls short can be overlooked, given that this is the first time a Pokémon game has gone this far in a new direction, and with that I can say that this is not only one of the best games the series has had in a long time, but it's a direction I hope to see the series continue to pursue.