‘Pokemon Legends: Arceus’ is being compared to 15-year-old ‘Oblivion’

A new trailer for Pokemon Legends: Arceus has led fans to compare the game to the 2006 RPG, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion.

Following the reveal of a new Pokemon Legends: Arceus trailer yesterday (August 18), fans have begun dissecting the video frame by frame (thanks, GAMINGbible). One of the big sticking points seems to be the quality of the game’s trees.

Over on Reddit, users have begun comparing the cel-shaded trees of Arceus with the more realistically-rendered trees in the 2006 fantasy RPG, Oblivion.

Unbelievable what 15 years of gaming evolution look from gaming

The screenshots being compared show landscapes which are admittedly similar in design, with mountains in the distance and a river running through a valley. However, the point of contention seems to be that the new Pokemon game renders fewer trees than the earlier Oblivion.

“You guys expect too much from the top selling video game franchise of all time,” commented Reddit user bootleg-bean.

“Legend has it that they are [taking] the billions they make with each Pokemon game and working hard to create a second tree model, which we might see by 2027,” wrote calculon000.

“We see better graphics and fidelity from indie devs. It’s really shameful that one of the most successful franchise in gaming can just produce a game which looks worse than a 15 years old game,” said low-jackfruit-6500.

The tree debate has been ongoing since Pokemon Sword & Shield – cited by many gamers as a sign that the graphics of recent Pokemon games aren’t up to par.

But it’s worth noting that the art styles of these games are very different – Pokemon Legends: Arceus is opting for a more cartoon-style, cel-shaded look while Oblivion takes a more realistic approach.

In fact, it’s likely that Arceus’s lack of trees is more of a design choice than a limitation of the game itself.

Elsewhere, Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy is getting its own original rock album courtesy of fictional band, Star Lord.