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No one can deny the immense reach of the Pokémon franchise thanks to its classic mechanics and amazing designs. However, Nintendo took more liberties with its Pokémon Legends spin-off, giving trainers greater freedom by breaking away from the classic formula. In Pokémon Legends: Z-A, they break out of their Poké Balls to explore a less linear world but with greater freedom, set in modern Kalos. This latest Pokémon installment comes wrapped in very eye-catching exterior packaging, but the interior has many features that might not sit well with some die-hard fans.
Traveling to the Big City
It’s not that Pokémon reinvents the wheel with each of its stories. It usually follows the path of a trainer with the dream of becoming the best there ever was, getting their first Pokémon, and challenging the most skilled trainers, all while defeating the evil team. It’s a straightforward narrative that lets players focus on grinding levels and gameplay. I mean, many of us enjoy being trainers with a level 100 Charizard and defeating rivals with a single attack or having our Pokémon with perfect stats.
Yet, Pokémon Legends: Z-A moves away from the gyms and the Elite Four again. It’s not that you travel to prehistoric Kalos. Instead, players get to explore every corner of Lumiose City after the events of Pokémon X and Y. Upon your arrival, players will instantly become friends and partners with Urbain or Taunie. It’s a real shame that it’s impossible to choose your friend and rival, as it depends on the protagonist’s body type. Even so, whoever your rival is, they will recruit you to Team MZ.
In reality, it’s all propaganda to “improve Lumiose city,” as the government is implementing Wild Zones where wild Pokémon can live in “harmony” with humans. In addition to having to rank up in Z-A Royale, this is the main attraction for those who prefer combat and want to be the very best. These main plot points allow us to focus on enjoying exploring the city, completing the Pokédex, and discovering the new features of Pokémon Legends: Z-A.
Overall, don’t expect a ground-breaking narrative here. Truth is, we haven’t gotten a memorable story in a Pokémon game in ages, which is pretty sad, as Kalos has been one of the most beloved regions in the whole Pokémon pantheon, and one that delivered an emotional plot. But if gameplay is all you care about, then you might find a couple of interesting things.
Pokémon Watching or Training
The Wild Zone is not new to Pokémon games, but the big difference, at least compared to Pokémon Sword and Shield, is that there are several within Lumiose City. In Lumiose, the Wild Zones are smaller areas in the middle of the city, delineated by holograms. They have a unique number that indicates the difficulty or level of the wild Pokémon. Also, if you fight close to other enemies, they can join the combat as a horde fight. The fun part is that each zone has the challenge of finding all the Pokemon that appear in it, as there will be certain specimens depending on the time of day you go. Also, on the map, you can keep track of which ones you’ve already caught in each zone and which ones you’ve already completed.
The main event in Lumiose City, due to the lack of gyms, is the Z-A Royale. In this event, trainers start at Rank Z, but every so often, they receive an invitation to a Promotion Match to move up in rank. However, it’s not just about accepting the invitation to the fight. At night, Lumiose transforms, and battle zones appear for a limited time. In these zones, you won’t find wild Pokémon, but you will be stalked by trainers eager for battle, as each match you win will earn you points and thus a ticket to participate in the Promotion Match. Yet, in the Battle Zone, you have special cards that will give you bonuses if you follow their instructions. Some cards will help you if, for example, you ambush a trainer or defeat your rival’s Pokemon with a fire-type attack.
The most annoying thing I experienced was in rooftop battles, as some buildings have cornices where Pokémon can get stuck. You can continue the fight, but sometimes the Pokémon end up teleporting next to their trainer. That aside, this type of battle was what I always wanted as a child, like the feeling of being able to command your Pokemon, just like Ash in the series. For those who have never played Pokémon Legends: Arceus, it may be tricky to get used to dodging while controlling the trainer and to the more action-packed combat with cooldowns.
The truth is Pokémon Legends: Z-A is not a very challenging game per se. As long as you grind EXP and are at a similar level to the Pokémon you are fighting, you will have no problem, which is yet another issue we’ve seen in recent Pokémon entries. While we know the series tends to be accessible, the truth is the lack of difficulty is a bummer, as you can steamroll anything without notable effort.
Still, Pokémon Legends: Z-A is a step in the right direction, at least when it comes to combat mechanics. While I grew up with the good ol’ turn-based combat system, it eventually gets old, and no amount of Mega Evolutions or pocket creatures with crystal hats will change that. Hopefully, Nintendo and Game Freak will polish this more dynamic combat system because it is one that finally lets us live our Pokémon trainer fantasy.
Researcher by Day and Detective by Night
It’s not all about battling Pokémon, as we soon discover that Urbain and Taunie have very special connections. Among them is the scientist Mable, who not only acts as a kind of Pokémon professor in this installment, but also asks you to investigate for her. However, filling the Pokédex isn’t our only task. With Mable, you can also earn research experience points and level up by completing specific assignments, such as catching a certain number of Pokémon of a particular type. The best part is that leveling up is easy, and with each level, Mable will give us a TM.
Another highlight is being Emma’s assistant, the detective. If the name doesn’t ring a bell, she is a girl who met the protagonist of Pokémon X and Y when helping Detective Looker. Emma will give us several cases where we must help people find Pokémon or objects in exchange for rewards. Sometimes, the cases can lead us to discover some Alpha Pokémon and battles, which is pretty cool.
In general, the side quests with Mable and Emma are simple, quick, and you can complete them while exploring the map. However, the most annoying items to get are Mega Shards, the pink rocks. The problem isn’t finding the shards, but rather that you need Rock Smash, and every time you use it, you have a cooldown, even if you’re not in combat. Yet, once you get enough, you can use the shards to buy Mega Stones.
Shaking Up the Formula
Initially, I wasn’t so convinced about Pokémon Legends Z-A. However, as soon as I started playing, I began raving excitedly about every little new detail and comparing it to previous games. Legends: Z-A ended up being quite an entertaining game with a certain cozy vibe on the side that I always appreciate. What impressed me the most was that, for the first time in my life, I was excited to fill the Pokédex for fun, thanks to Mable’s quest and completing Wild Zones.
However, not all that glitters is gold. Lumiose City has many QoL updates compared to the main franchise, such as Auto Heal, more dynamic combat with the possibility of dodging, and the ability to decide which moves to equip your party with. All of this is very valuable to me, but as a large company with the necessary capital, I would expect Game Freak to have included all these improvements a long time ago. Many of these features have existed in other monster collector games for a long time, and in Pokémon, it feels like they’ve arrived a bit late to the party in comparison.
It’s also beautiful to see the new graphics and how smooth the game is. I didn’t experience any major bugs or glitches like I did with Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, but some textures are still a bit washed out and disappointing. While there are no cheap trees, the city is full of textures so flat that there is basically nothing modeled outside the buildings. Still, Legends: Z-A is an improvement in many ways, and an entry that has finally shown us that the formula can finally change.
Review copy provided by the publisher.
Pokémon Legends: Z-A (Nintendo Switch 2 Reviewed)
Pokémon Legends: Z-A brings together many of the best features of the Pokémon Legends spin-off, and with luck, this could be the first step toward them being added to the main series.
Pros
- Combat is more dynamic due to the ability to dodge and move around.
- There are many more things to do outside of the main quest and combat.
Cons
- Some Pokémon get stuck during battles on rooftops.
- Most of the city has flat textures.
