The latest trailer for Pokémon Legends: Arceus has already brought up comparisons to the recently released Metroid Dread for its horror elements. The monster-collecting RPG franchise is much more readily associated with adorable creatures and child-friendly aesthetics, but this trailer is not the first time the Pokémon franchise has gotten darker than fans might expect.
Pokémon has had elements of horror throughout the whole series, ever since Lavender Town debuted in Pokémon Red and Blue, and the latest trailer for Pokémon Legends: Arceus is no exception. From the first game onward, the series has incorporated elements which, if minor, still proved at least somewhat unsettling. These elements include locales such as the Old Chateau in Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, and the hex maniacs in Lumiose City in Pokémon X and Y. For Pokémon being a kids series, Pokémon has an impressive track record of instilling fear in its players.
Not long after the latest trailer for Pokémon Legends: Arceus, fans have already been making comparisons to the recent Metroid Dread. Reddit PKMNTrainer77 posted a fanmade cover to summarize their thoughts after the latest trailer, replacing Arceus with the word Dread. Given that Metroid Dread is considered one of the scarier games in a series that is filled with unsettling aliens, this comparison isn't inaccurate.
The Metroid series has always had unsettling elements in the games, but Metroid Dread cranks up the horror aspects with the implementation of the E.M.M.I. robots. These robots stalk Samus in their zones and are impossible to defeat under normal circumstances. Samus has to avoid them in stealth sections lest she gets captured and instantly killed by them. If caught, Samus has at most two chances to counter the E.M.M.I. before the player faces a game over. The E.M.M.I. robots alone make Metroid Dread a terror to play on the Nintendo Switch, and from their first showcase in Metroid Dread's creepy debut trailer, it was clear how much of a force they'd be.
The frightening Pokémon shown in the latest trailer for Pokémon Legends: Arceus might not be a deadly killer robot like the E.M.M.I., but the way it was presented in the trailer does show similar elements that bring up the comparison to Metroid Dread. Although the Pokémon wasn't seen, it did attack the narrator in some way before the video ended similar to the E.M.M.I. robots, and the static effects are also similar to the effects used in the Metroid Dread trailers. From this trailer, it wouldn't be surprising if Pokémon Legends: Arceus indulged in the art of horror just as the series has always done.
Pokémon Legends: Arceus releases on Nintendo Switch on January 28, 2022.
Source: PKMNTrainer77/Reddit
