While Pokémon Legends Arceus is a fantastic game, it’s missing something that Pokémon players have been requesting for a long time, a hard mode. And with the new Pokémon Legends Arceus, we need an optional hard mode now more than ever.
Pokémon Hard Moe – Why is it needed?
Without the hard mode we don’t have the option to disable experience share and that’s a problem. Hardcore fans have been asking for this feature for years. Shared experience means your entire team of six Pokémon get experience when you win fights.
While this means you have a balanced team to tackle challenges with, it also means you can have an over leveled Pokémon do all the work in the group project and the whole team gets credit. by doing this, it takes the challenge out of leveling new Pokémon as you catch them all.
Team Size
Another problem, team size. In trainer battles you’re toting a full team of six Pokémon that are all over leveled because of experience share and going up against a trainer that has two, maybe three, Pokémon. In my proposed hard mode, you should be restricted to how many Pokémon your opponent has. If they have three, you pick three from your team to use. If Game Freak doesn’t want to restrict your team size then your opponents should have full teams as well.
Level Scaling
Which brings us to the next issue, level scaling. Make the trainers and gym leaders scale to your level. It’s far too easy to over level your challenges, making the game a cake walk. Winning the championship in Pokémon Sword didn’t feel very rewarding when I tore apart my opponents with a level 100 Zamazenta.
Removing Certain Items
Another suggestion I have is removing certain items and limiting item usage in battles. Starting with, Revive. Revive let’s you bring a Pokémon that fainted back to active status. If you remove this item, the only way to bring your Pokémon back would be to head into town and visit the Pokémon center. Making it more of a challenge to battle if your Pokémon faints, which then you are forced to deal with it taking a nap until you get back to the center. No one likes a game that is easily won, right?
Going even further, disable Pokémon Home access until you finish the game when you select Hard Mode. Game Freak likes to release powerful shiny Pokémon codes. Putting one of those Pokémon on your team destroys any notion of challenge. By blocking Home access until you finish the game, you’ll only be using the Pokémon that you have available in the game. While I love to bring my Pokémon from game to game with me. Having my dream team all together really kills the collecting aspect.
Pokémon is a massive IP that’s mainly marketed towards kids. While the easy nature of the game makes it so accessible and fun for children, it also pushes away much of the older audience, leaving only the hardcore fans to come up with their own handicaps to make the games more rewarding.
I’ve seen people that won’t buy revives or people that will only carry one Pokémon at a time, even going so far as releasing any Pokémon that faint. Putting in a hard mode or at least giving us the option to disable experience share would continue to breathe new life into the franchise after the success of Pokémon Legends Arceus.
Game Freak, if you’re reading this, give us a hard mode in gen 9, we’ve all been patiently waiting.