Pokemon

Update: Both of the leaked games mentioned in our original article have now been officially confirmed. Visit here for official details on Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, and here for the open-world Pokémon Legends: Arceus.

Original Article (Fri 26th Feb, 2021 12:10 GMT): If you were planning to tune into today's Pokémon Presents, this is your final chance to remain unspoiled.

Still here? OK...

Reddit leaker PracticalBrush12 has made a bit of a name for themselves lately, most notably leaking half of Nintendo's previous Direct presentation ahead of time. They were also responsible for several Monster Hunter leaks and details on both Diablo 4 and the Diablo 2 Remaster. Their track record speaks for itself, and they're back at it once again with Pokémon.

While Pokémon Presents will likely cover multi-media content beyond just games, PracticalBrush12 detailed two unrevealed Nintendo Switch projects and what's even more exciting is these were later backed up by video and screenshot leaks.

In their latest post, the user writes:

Hey guys, so the remakes are in wierd chibi 3D, battles are just same as SwSh. Brilliant D and Shining P, this year, developed by ILCA not GF. Why? Because they are working on another game! It's... Open world. In "feudal" sinnoh. Year 2022 early for release.

If the user is to be believed, this would mean the long-awaited remakes of Diamond & Pearl are titled "Brilliant Diamond" and "Shining Pearl" and while the date isn't specified, they will most likely be aiming for 2021 if the second project is 2022. These remakes are allegedly being headed by ILCA, a support studio which has aided with games such as Dragon Quest XI and NieR: Automata, although it doesn't appear to have developed its own title before.

https://twitter.com/KeliosFR/status/1365265226153816064

So what of Game Freak's title? A fully open-world Pokémon adventure again set in the Sinnoh region, only in the past. No further details are shared beyond the 2022 release date but don't worry, it's about to get very exciting.

A few hours after this post was published, footage of Game Freak's open-world Pokémon game found its way online. It looks like Pokémon is finally getting its "Breath of the Wild" moment. Video and screenshots showcase trainers roaming around a fully open field with visuals far surpassing that of 2019's Sword & Shield. Not only that, but combat appears to have been fully overhauled with battles occurring in real-time.

We see a trainer throwing a Poké Ball, almost like you would fire an arrow in Breath of the Wild. You can ride the monsters, fly in real-time, climb, sneak in tall grass. It almost looks too good to be real, as if it were a mod for Breath of the Wild... yet it lines up perfectly with what PracticalBrush12 describes.

We only need to wait a few hours to officially see it for ourselves but it looks like this Pokémon Presents is one you won't want to miss.

[source resetera.com, via reddit.com]