Pokémon Legends: Snyder

Pokémon Legends: Snyder (also known as Cocytus of Kyurem: A Cyberpunk Pokémon Story in its non-Nintendo Switch version, to downplay the reference to the "kiddy" franchise Pokémon as it's a game aiming to a more "hardcore" mature audience) is a Pokémon spin-off which came out on both Switch, PS4, Xbox series X, and PS5, carrying on Pokémon Legends Arceus, but set in cyberpunk future Unova (now called the Metropolis of Thronum Mundi) and in a virtual space called Cysekai, on the verge of the collapse of humanity. It tries to be an "edgier", more "hardcore" game than most Pokémon games, trying to appeal to fans of darker Pokémon-like games such as Shin Megami Tensei. 
The Beast of Snyder, the original dragon which became Kyurem, Zekrom and Reshiram, is now reformed. It's named Snyder after the protagonist himself. 
The game is much more story-driven than Legends: Arceus. The protagonist is an adult, gender-locked, name-locked and non-silent in this game, being a character named Snyder Harmonia Gropius, nicknamed "Cocytus", who is N's descendant, and unlike many Pokémon protagonists, he fights alongside his Pokémon through his handgun and Elemental Blaster and Elemental Armor, and the power of Kyurem that's inside him. 
== Gameplay ==
Fitting the cyberpunk aesthetic, the game is no longer a turn-based RPG, as such it's very different from most Pokémon games. Catching Pokémon and Pokémon Trainers aren't even called Catching and Trainers, but "Digitalizing" and "Summoners". 
Unlike Pokémon Legends, in this game Pokémon do have abilities. But abilities do not exist in City Battles.
The game has three different battle systems, the City Battle, Subspace Battle and Legendary Battle modes.
City Battle is an action-RPG/3D platformer-shooter real-time battle system. On field, you only control Snyder (his temporary party members are controlled by the CPU), not any Pokémon. As Snyder, you have abilities such as a dash and a jump to dodge attacks, a button used to shoot normal projectiles with your handgun (which are non-elemental, but, when charged by holding the button, become an Ice type attack because he powers them with Kyurem's energy), and a menu to change the form of your Elemental Blaster. Pokémon, in City Battles, are used as special shots called Blasts you can fire from your Blaster with a special weapon button: each type has its own Blast, which can be more or less effective against enemies. Pokémon are also used along with your Elemental Armor: the Pokémon you "equip" to your Armor gives it its type and a portion of stats, and you can freely switch both Blast and Armor during battle. You can Digitalize enemies with the Elemental Blaster's neutral/Stellar Blast (which requires you not to have any Blast equipped) and Normal-type Blast is a healing power. Like in Pokémon Rangers, the Blast you get from each Pokémon doesn't always equal their type, for instance Huntail is Water-type but has a Dark-type Blast. You also have a Kyurem Drive bar which fills the more you attack, you can use it to go into Kyurem State (which allows Snyder to use his latent Kyurem power, giving you a special moveset and making your type Ice-Dragon). 
Subspace Battle is a turn-based RPG in which you select moves depending on turn order, but unlike most Pokémon games, it's neither single nor double: if you "deploy the subspace", you can send three Pokémon at once, and all Pokémon in a certain area will, at once, be your enemy (so you can get three-on-four battles or even more). You can also use Blast Attacks, which sacrifice a Pokémon to use as a powerful move depending Occasionally, while not in Cysekai, you'll get the prompt to "Hack" things, even during bosses which are fought in City Battle style: while Hacking, you are deploying a subspace and starting a Subspace Battle. In Cysekai locations, battles will always be Subspace Battles, as the entire location is a subspace. You also have the option to Digitalize the Pokémon you're fighting. You can Digitalize all species of Pokémon in order to be able to summon them, even Pokémons owned by Summoners (the only exception being allied Summoners you fight in friendly matches, but most Summoners are hostile and as such Snyder can steal from them). 
Legendary Battle is a turn-based RPG with action commands akin to Mario and Luigi's Giant Battles, used at specific points in the plot against mechas and legendary Pokémon rather than normal Pokémon. Snyder transforms into Kyurem (and, when unlocked, can mod his body into Black Kyurem, White Kyurem or, in the final battle, The Original Dragon), and can select various Legendary Moves: each Legendary Move has a set of action commands to execute, the better you are in doing so, the stronger the move will be. In Legendary Battles you can also counter enemy attacks with action commands to dodge enemy attacks and/or inflict damage on the attacker. In Legendary Battle, type effectiveness does not exist. 
== Characters ==
Snyder "Cocytus": Snyder, nicknamed Cocytus (an ancient Unovan word that means "frozen hell of traitors") is a Street Samurai, a vigilante who deals in shady business. He has the mysterious power to create ice out of nothing and, when powered up, to transform into Kyurem. Snyder is known for combining a great ideal and a desire to find the truth, making him the perfect candidate to control the Original Dragon (which will be named Snyder after him). His real name is Snyder Harmonia Gropius, being a descendant of N and the reincarnation of the first Unova king Snyder Harmonia Gropius I who controlled the Original Dragon. Snyder had contacts with the Fa'Shan Cult, which modified him into a cyborg. Snyder is the first Pokémon protagonist with a Pokémon named after him, as the original dragon, who is nameless, is named Snyder after him. He's a speaking protagonist and you can't rename him, unlike the protagonists in Legends Arceus. 
Alice: A young girl who attends the prestigious Burgh High School in Auster Ward. She's a transfer student from the Nozomi Colony, and requests Snyder a top-secret mission, becoming the girl he protects. She's actually a descendant of the legendary Pokémon Alice, and capable of turning into said Pokémon.
== OST ==
The music is made by Giorgio Vanni and Marco Minervino "Exumano", and is heavy on electronics, being in style close to darkwave or EBM. 
The main theme is called "Pokémon Cocytus: Sul Trono del Mondo" (Pokémon Cocytus: On the World's Throne). Its lyrics are:
(stanza 1:)
Un trono di cemento in cima al mondo (Thronum Mundi)
Multiformi sconfinati subspazi digitali (Cysekai)
Demoni furiosi, elettrico rimbombo (Pokémon)
Torrenti di sangue, sinfonia di spari (Samurai)
(pre-chorus:)
Lavori sporchi e assassinii in difesa d'innocenti
Pokémon caricati in pistola e armatura
Né bianco né nero nella frenesia di menti
Del gelido inferno, la leggenda ancor perdura!
Pokémon!
(chorus:)
Dove la legge è dimenticata, samurai della strada, tinto di morte il fato cambierai (Figlio di Kyurem)
La tua legge sono alti ideali, la verità saran le tue ali, i regnanti, Snyder, sottometterai (Gelido Inferno) 
Predatore urbano, inesorabile bufera
Nel fango disumano annunci la nuova era
Il Figlio di Kyurem, quel tu sei!
(stanza 2:)
Un trono di denaro in cima al mondo (Thronum Mundi)
Torme invasive di mostri digitali (Cysekai)
D'Elemental Pistola il multiforme rombo (Pokémon)
Catene d'agonia spezzate con gli spari (Samurai)
(pre-chorus:)
Ideali e verità dietro i gesti violenti
In eroismo mutano l'azione più oscura
Col ferro e col sangue fai tremare i potenti
Del gelido inferno, la leggenda ancor perdura!
Pokémon!
(repeat chorus:)
Dove la legge è dimenticata, samurai della strada, tinto di morte il fato cambierai (Figlio di Kyurem)
La tua legge sono alti ideali, la verità saran le tue ali, i regnanti, Snyder, sottometterai (Gelido Inferno) 
Predatore urbano, inesorabile bufera
Nel fango disumano annunci la nuova era
Il figlio di Kyurem, quel tu sei!
(bridge)
Hikari ni tsukaeru tame ni 
Kage no naka de ugokimasu
Hakai no kaze yo, kesshite tomaranai
Mirai o shihai suru tame ni, 
Jūgeki no hageshi-sa de seigi o motarasu.
Figlio di Kyurem, della strada un samurai
(repeat chorus:)
Dove la legge è dimenticata, samurai della strada, tinto di morte il fato cambierai (Figlio di Kyurem)
La tua legge sono alti ideali, la verità saran le tue ali, i regnanti, Snyder, sottometterai (Gelido Inferno) 
Predatore urbano, inesorabile bufera
Nel fango disumano annunci la nuova era
Il figlio di Kyurem, quel tu sei!
== Trivia ==
* Snyder, AKA the original dragon Kyurem, Zekrom and Reshiram split off from, is the fourth non-crossover Pokémon to transform from a human, as he's named after Snyder Harmonia Gropius who transforms into him, the other three are Iscariot (who is fused with Akira il Duce, ancient leader of the Fa'Shan Cult), and Annalisa (who is a serial killer from Earth, Annalisa Miyawaki, possessed by an interdimensional calamity). Alice isn't counted, as she's a Pokémon who naturally looks human, not a Pokémon transformed from a human. All those Pokémon are also named after a real-life individual, movie director Zack Snyder for Snyder, Japanese pop singer Annalisa for Annalisa, actress Alice Eve for Alice, and traitorous apostle Judas Iscariot for Iscariot.