Throughout thePokemonfranchise, Legendary Pokemon have always been one of the top objectives. They’re often the mascot of a new game that looms over the game’s story, or at the very least, they serve as a side objective that encouragesPokemonplayers to explore.Pokemon GOmakes a major objective out of Legendary Pokemon too, but it handles them differently. Every once in a while, they temporarily spring up across the game’s Gyms as limited-time Raids, putting players' Pokemon teams to the test. The limited availability means that Legendary Pokemon can be almost as rare and exclusive inPokemon GOas they are in the base games.
However, the encounters themselves also differ greatly from the corePokemonfranchise. While many Legendary Pokemon appear in special areas and have unique movesets, inPokemon GO,Legendary Pokemon are powerful but otherwise differ little from normal Pokemon raids.Pokemon GOis famously much more simple thanPokemongames usually are, but even so, it’s a shame that Legendary Pokemon don’t get any special treatment when they appear in Raids. It’d be great tosee Legendary Raids get expandeda little bit, whether through new mechanics or through aesthetic changes that make the encounters feel more like remarkable occasions.
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Upgrading Pokemon GO’s Raid Mechanics
Legendary Pokemon battles in mostPokemongames admittedly don’t differ much from normal battles. Legendaries don’t break the conventions ofPokemon’s simple turn-based gameplay, but they still set themselves apart in a few ways. For instance,most Legendary Pokemon have a signature movethat changes the kind of threat they pose in battle, keeping players on their toes.Pokemon GO,unfortunately, doesn’t have much room for signature moves. BecausePokemon GOoperates exclusively on damage-dealing moves, not every signature move can be featured, and each Pokemon can only learn two moves regardless, so locked signature moves would limit player options a lot.
Pokemon GORaids could still incorporate the unique power of Legendary Pokemon in a new way, though. For instance,Pokemon GOhas players complete skill checks to power up Charged Attacks when fighting NPCs and other trainers, but not in Raid battles. Legendary Pokemon in Raids could occasionally trigger a similar skill check for every player in the raid right before the Legendary uses powerful attack; on a success, players might get to deal bonus damage tothe Pokemon in the Raid, rather than taking damage themselves. A simple mechanic like that would makePokemon GO’s battles with Legendary Pokemon feel more distinct without actually raising the difficulty too much.
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If it doesn’t want to change Raid combat mechanics, then Niantic could always opt for a more simple aesthetic adjustment for Raid battles. Most Legendary Pokemon are associated withspecial locations in thePokemonworld, whether it’s the top of a mountain or a distant islet. Rather than taking place on a Gym battlefield as usual,Pokemon GO’s Legendary Raids could project one of a handful of distinct locations like a cavern or a snowy mountain peak, referencing the Legendary Pokemon’s origins. An aesthetic change like that could make Legendary Pokemon battles more compelling without introducing new mechanics to balance.
The Role of Legendary Pokemon
For mostPokemongames, Legendary Pokemon are meant to be distant endgame objectives, either associated with the game’s climax or with the player’s journey through thePokemonworld after completing the story.Pokemon GO’s lack of a core narrative and AR design leave no room for Legendary Pokemon to play those roles; instead, they’re just particularly strong Pokemon to collect.Legendary Pokemon play their partinPokemon GOadmirably, but their origins as elusive forces of nature remain worthy of recognition. With just a few small adjustments,Pokemon GOcould turn Legendary Raids into significantly more epic encounters.
Pokemon GOis available now for Android and iOS devices.
