Pokémon Legends Z-A review: Evolution without exploration

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Honestly, one of the best parts of Pokémon Legends: Arceus for me was just how amazing it felt to explore. The Hisui region felt totally wild and untouched, like I was discovering things no one had seen before. It was set way back in time, before the Pokémon League we all know, and I actually got to create the very first Pokédex! But what really blew me away was how different it played – it ditched the usual turn-based battles for something that felt way more dynamic and alive. It was a seriously fresh take on the whole Pokémon experience.

Pokémon Legends: Z-A is trying something new with the Pokémon formula, but instead of focusing on exploring a large region, it centers on battles. The entire game takes place within a single, huge city filled with trainers, Pokémon, and a story told through fights. While this new approach can be really exciting, it doesn’t always fully live up to its potential.

A Tale of One City

Set five years after the events of Pokémon X and Y, Legends: Z-A returns to Lumiose City in the Kalos region. This time, the entire game takes place within the city itself, which is heavily inspired by Paris, France. You’ll find a distinct Parisian atmosphere throughout, with shops, outdoor cafes, art galleries, and even French phrases spoken by the characters you meet.

Lumiose City has a unique appeal that wasn’t quite conveyed in the earlier games. It feels much more like a real place now, with diverse neighborhoods, twisting streets, and even rooftops you can explore. The music has been updated too, with remixes of the original soundtrack that add a lot more energy. Initially, simply running around and getting to know the city is surprisingly fun, as you’ll find yourself returning to the same areas often. However, this repeated travel also makes the world feel small and restricted, because you’re always contained within the city walls.

Unlike Legends: Arceus, which made exploring vast landscapes exciting, Z-A focuses on smaller “Wild Zones” found within Lumiose City. These zones appear in different neighborhoods and contain only a few types of Pokémon, but the game conveniently keeps track of which ones you still need to catch. However, these zones aren’t expansive outdoor areas – they’re designed to fit the city environment. Even the area meant to feel like an icy region is essentially a park with some artificial snow, as if the city added it to draw Ice-type Pokémon.

The story itself is compelling: wild Pokémon are suddenly causing trouble in the city, and it’s up to you and your team to restore order. Some Pokémon even unexpectedly Mega Evolve, and you have to battle to calm them down. However, the idea of sectioning off the city with fences doesn’t make much practical sense. How would people get to work or back home? And who would keep the shops running while dangerous Pokémon are rampaging around?

Despite having tall buildings and rooftops you can explore, Lumiose City often feels cramped and repetitive. The buildings all look alike, the streets become indistinguishable, and the skyline is unremarkable except for the famous Prism Tower. Compared to the beautiful, natural landscapes of Hisui, Lumiose City lacks the same wonder and feeling of finding something new.

PROS:

  1. Real-time combat adds energy and unpredictability, making battles feel more alive than ever before;
  2. rogue Mega Evolution battles feel like boss-like encounters that give the story weight and excitement;
  3. its soundtrack is an impressive mix of old remixes with new catchy beats.

CONS:

  1. Confining the game to Lumiose City robs it of the grand sense of adventure that made Legends: Arceus special;
  2. repetitive environments due to similar-looking districts and little visual variety;
  3. awkward day/night cycle interrupts gameplay and makes exploration feel clunky.

An Evolved Battle System

The biggest improvement in Z-A is definitely the battle system. Instead of taking turns, battles now happen in real time, requiring quick thinking. You’ll need to move your Pokémon strategically, avoid enemy attacks, and manage how often your moves are ready to use. Each move has a cooldown, so you’ll either need to find another attack while you wait, or focus on dodging. This makes battles faster and more action-packed, though it doesn’t leave as much room for complex planning—it certainly keeps you engaged and reactive.

Even though the game introduces new ideas, it remains true to its Pokémon roots. Things like type matchups, move choices, and Pokémon stats still play a big role, and more powerful moves take longer to recharge. This combination of classic Pokémon strategy and action-based gameplay makes battles feel exciting and different from anything the series has offered before.

Mega Evolutions, which originally appeared in the Pokémon X and Y games, are a key part of the story in Pokémon Z-A. Some of the most exciting battles involve facing powerful, giant Pokémon that have Mega Evolved – these fights feel like action game boss battles! You’ll need to dodge attacks, carefully time your moves, and pay attention, as your character can actually be damaged during battle. A mistimed dodge could leave you defeated by a powerful attack.

The Highs and Lows of Battles

The competitive battling continues at night in Battle Zones, where you’ll compete against other trainers in the Z-A Royale. You advance the story by winning against increasingly skilled opponents, culminating in promotion matches that feel like traditional gym battles. However, the ranking system feels a bit rushed—you don’t really need to work your way up through each rank, and it all happens quite quickly. While you can replay these battles after finishing the main story for harder challenges, it doesn’t quite live up to its full potential.

It’s frustrating that trainer battles only occur at night, and you can’t speed up the day-night cycle. Every time the game switches between day and night, it shows a cutscene, which interrupts gameplay when you’re simply trying to explore or catch Pokémon. Allowing players to skip the cycle or making it flow more smoothly would have greatly improved the experience.

Even after you finish the main story, there’s still plenty to do in the game. Completing research gives you helpful items, like moves you can teach your Pokémon, which encourages you to catch them all and build powerful teams. Dedicated players can even earn a special item called the Shiny Charm by putting in the effort. If you’re willing to play a bit longer, you’ll find a surprising amount of content to keep you engaged and help you discover everything the game has to offer.

Final Thoughts

The best Pokémon games are all about the fun of exploring and finding new things. Legends: Z-A captures some of that feeling, especially with its new Mega Evolutions that give older Pokémon a fresh look – though some are more exciting than others (Mega Starmie, we’re looking at you!). It’s enjoyable to combine familiar Pokémon with these new forms, and it gives veteran players a good reason to try out different team combinations.

Okay, Lumiose City is HUGE, seriously, tons of shops, battles, and Pokémon just running around. But honestly? It didn’t give me that same wow factor as Legends: Arceus did. It just felt…like a city. There wasn’t that feeling of exploring something wild and unknown, just streets and buildings that all started to look the same. That said, the music was AMAZING. It was super upbeat and catchy, and really fit the city’s lively vibe.

Ultimately, Pokémon Legends: Z-A is a daring new attempt by Game Freak. While it doesn’t quite create a completely seamless and engaging world, its fresh battle mechanics and the introduction of new Pokémon make it a compelling addition to the series. The changes won’t appeal to everyone, but it proves Pokémon is still capable of surprising innovation. If this real-time battle system is improved in future games, the series has a very promising future ahead.

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2025-10-21 12:35