Why Pokémon Legends: Arceus' Arc Phone Isn't A Rotom Phone
Technology is limited in Pokémon Legends: Arceus, despite the inclusion of a seemingly modern device called the Arc Phone. Given to the player by Arceus in the first cutscene of the game, the Arc Phone appears to be a modern device altered by the Mythical Pokémon to function in the historic Hisui region. Despite this, the Arc phone is nothing like the useful Rotom Phones of recent Pokémon titles and lacks many of the functions that make gameplay less frustrating for players.
In past Pokémon games, technology has played a big role in the player's journey. From the Pokémon storage system on the PC in the original Red, Blue, and Yellow to the complex interface of the portable Rotom smartphone in Pokémon Sword and Shield, technology has helped players become champions and explore the region they are traveling. However, while the inclusion of the Arc Phone in Pokémon Legends: Arceus gives players a familiar interface to navigate when looking at a map, the device lacks a number of features that would be worth including after going to such lengths to work its existence into the game.
Presently, the Arc Phone functions as a map and keystone to gain access to certain locations in Pokémon Legends: Arceus. Like the Shiekah Slate in Breath of the Wild, the Arc Phone allows players to see objectives, place markers, and keep track of resources, improving exploration. However, it does not include the player's inventory, Pokémon storage, global trade system, or any other features that would make the Arc Phone more useful. Because of this, the Arc Phone functions more like a digital map and less like an actual phone, taking away almost every improvement the Rotom Phone brought the series, especially in Sword and Shield.
Because the Arc Phone lacks so many features, it seems odd Game Freak went to such lengths to include an out-of-place piece of technology in a game designed to take place in the distant past. A paper map could have served the same function as the Arc Phone, with an Arceus artifact acting as a keystone to open the lake caves and others protected locations. This item could even have been added in as a narrative quest, with the player traveling to the ruins in Legends: Arceus to obtain it.
However, the Arc Phone is likely being used as a narrative device. This piece of advanced technology is a constant reminder that the main character comes from a different time that is far in the future. It acts as proof to NPCs that the player has seen a different world, one where Pokémon and people work together, and where an advanced society has been developed based on these partnerships. While Pokémon Legends: Arceus' Arc Phone isn't as useful or gadget-heavy as the Rotom Phone, its place in the narrative makes it a needed item for players to possess.