THIS STORY CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR the story content in "Pokemon Legends: Arceus."

SPOILER WARNING!

While the “Pokemon” series has always targeted younger gamers, the more adult elements in “Pokemon Legends: Arceus” were welcomed by older fans and critics alike. From changes in the usual story and world to more complex characters and themes, there are many aspects in “Arceus” that only adults would notice.

“Arceus” explores a time when Pokemons were considered dangerous and the villagers of the Hisui region were afraid of them. Many quests ask the player to fill out the Pokedex of a specific Pokemon for an NPC, and when the NPC’s curiosity is satisfied, they begin to be more receptive and open to the creatures.

In “Arceus,” the rivals are more emotionally complex than before and are constantly worrying over the player’s safety against the frenzied Pokemons. Rei/Akari also have other details to their character, such as being slightly ditzy.

The sense of danger is ever-present in “Arceus” with the player having to dodge Pokemon attacks and the creatures’ evolutions looking more sinister than before. The game has also aged the player up to 15 years old (most Pokemon games had the player at 10 years old).

When the player is falsely accused by Commander Kamado of causing the Pokemon to become frenzied, Irida gets upset and argues with the notion of being innocent until proven guilty. This is a nod to how difficult it is to prove that one is guilt-free in real life and why many political systems are set up to avoid this issue.