Pokémon Legends: Arceus is an action role-playing game that keeps the primary gameplay of previous mainline Pokémon games. Long before the events of Pokémon Diamond and Pearl and their remakes, the game is set in a bygone era of Sinnoh's history, when it was known as the Hisui region.
Players can capture wild Pokémon in the overworld without having to fight them, while some wild Pokémon must be fought first. Rowlet, Cyndaquil, and Oshawott are the three starter Pokémon available at the start of the game. As a result, it is the first mainline game to offer starting Pokémon from many regions.