Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Pokemon Legends: Z-A was provided by Nintendo for review. Thank you!

It goes without saying, particularly for those who know me, that Pokémon is just one of those franchises for me. It's part of the core few that have defined me, alongside Final Fantasy and The Legend of Zelda, all of which continue to do so to this day. And with that being said, I certainly approached Pokémon Legends: Z-A with a mix of anticipation and curiosity. After Pokémon Legends: Arceus redefined the series, albeit in a spin-off, emphasizing exploration and catching, I was eager to see where developer Game Freak would take the "Legends" formula next. What I found is a game that feels both familiar and daringly different; a title that succeeds in many areas, yet left me unsure about whether its new direction truly improves upon what came before.

From the start, Z-A makes its intentions clear. This is a game that places much greater emphasis on battling than its predecessor, with a new real-time combat system that focuses on fast-paced, tactical decisions that are, ultimately, genuinely exciting. Controlling your Trainer and Pokémon during fights adds a welcome layer of dynamism, even if this rarely comes into play outside Rogue Mega battles, while the return of the aforementioned Mega Evolution (finally!) provides an extra thrill in the heat of battle. There's a sense of immediacy and strategy that feels new for the series, and the results are often exhilarating. Technically, the game is also a marked improvement over previous Pokémon titles. Character models are sharper, performance is smooth, and animations are more expressive. It's easily one of the most polished Pokémon games to date, and that alone makes a strong first impression.

That said, it's still not necessarily the technical leap that such a well-established and dependable franchise needs. It's bold, colourful, and aesthetically clean, but never truly impressive in the way that, say, Breath of the Wild was over eight years ago. It's another slight improvement from what came before, but when what came before was yet another minuscule improvement, it leaves you, and the apparent community at large, desperately wanting, hoping, wishing for the leap it so desperately deserves.

Setting the game entirely in Lumiose City, the bustling heart of the Kalos region, is a bold decision. The story revolves around the city's redevelopment and modernisation, framing the narrative from the get-go as a contrast between tradition and progress. It's an intriguing premise that ties neatly into the game's mechanical themes. The tension between old and new, the freedom of the wild and the structure of civilisation. On paper, it's an excellent concept, but it leans into many of the uncertainties I felt both before release and throughout my dozens of hours exploring Pokémon X & Y's defining city.

As impressive as the city initially seems, it quickly becomes apparent that Lumiose's dense urban design is also one of the game's most significant limitations. Unlike Arceus, which offered vast open landscapes to explore and a feeling of genuine discovery, Z-A feels far more contained. The city's districts are intricately detailed but ultimately restrictive, with fewer opportunities to wander freely or stumble upon the unexpected. The sense of wonder and quiet exploration that defined Arceus has been replaced by something more rigid and controlled. While Lumiose's bustling atmosphere captures the energy of an urban Pokémon setting, the lack of wide-open spaces can feel stifling. For a game in the Legends series, a sub-series that once thrived on the joy of discovery, that's a disheartening trade-off.

This shift also ties into my greatest uncertainty with Z-A: I don't quite know whether I prefer Arceus's focus on catching or Z-A's on battling. In Arceus, catching Pokémon wasn't just a side activity; it was the core of the experience. Sneaking through tall grass, studying the creature's behaviour, and methodically completing the Pokédex felt both immersive and rewarding. Conversely, Z-A trades much of that quiet satisfaction for action-driven battles and structured progression. It's not necessarily worse; the combat is thrilling and expertly designed, but it's undeniably a different experience. I enjoyed battling through Lumiose's arenas and Mega-charged encounters, yet I couldn't shake the feeling that something was missing. There was less of that sense of connection to the Pokémon world, less of that simple joy of seeing a wild creature behaving naturally in its environment before attempting a careful catch, and much less excitement throughout because of it.

Beyond that, some of Z-A's aesthetic and world-building choices occasionally undermine its more decisive moments. While performance is smooth, an arguable first for Pokémon games upon release in recent years, certain areas of Lumiose feel repetitive, with its architecture beginning to blur together after extended play. The repeated absence of voice acting makes story scenes feel oddly quiet, which is especially damning for a game set in both such a lively city and one where the story feels a particular highlight and more akin to, say, an episode or arc of the anime as opposed to the usual story beats found in previous games. These may be relatively small flaws, but they add up and contribute to the impression that the game's ambition sometimes exceeds what its world design can support.

Despite these frustrations, Pokémon Legends: Z-A remains a strong and engaging evolution for the series. Its focus on battles is refreshing, its technical execution is better than any mainline Pokémon game in years, and its story is more thematically grounded than most. Yet, even with all that, I can't help but feel conflicted. I admire its ambition, but I also miss the calm, open-ended spirit of Arceus.

Where Arceus invited me to explore, Z-A often feels like it's guiding me from one battle to the next, an energetic experience, but less freeing. It's a complicated success; It delivers a confident reimagining of the series's battle systems and a fascinating new take on Kalos, yet it sacrifices some of what made Arceus so special in the process. The result is a game that's both thrilling and slightly constrained; a Pokémon adventure that shines brightly, but within boundaries that feel just a bit too tight.

Our review is based on the Nintendo Switch 2 version of this game.

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