Pokemon Legends: Z-A Doesn’t Feel Like a Pokemon Game (& I’ve Played It)

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For a long time, Pokémon games followed a familiar pattern: start at home, begin a journey, and learn to steer clear of long grass. You’d choose a starting Pokémon and set off to explore. Then, *Pokémon Legends: Arceus* changed things up, offering a fresh experience that wasn’t quite a traditional main series game or a simple spin-off. Now, with *Pokémon Legends: Z-A*, players are wondering what defines a “Legends” game compared to the usual Pokémon titles. After playing, it’s clear that these games, like *Pokémon Legends: Z-A*, are full of surprises.

I recently got to play about an hour of *Pokemon Legends: Z-A* at a gaming event. I wasn’t sure what to expect, especially after hearing about the earlier demos and seeing the new Mega Evolution reveals. But playing the game felt surprisingly different from a typical *Pokemon* game, and I’m still trying to figure out how I feel about that.

Pokemon Legends: Z-A Breaks the Mold with Real-Time Battles

The most significant difference between this game and *Legends: Arceus* is the way battles work. While *Arceus* had some quick, real-time moments during boss fights, *Legends: Z-A* fully embraces real-time combat. The demo I played focused heavily on this new system, so that’s what I’ve been thinking about the most. From the moment I started with the Switch 2 controller, I knew battles would be happening live. Of course, I first got to create my character – I could have spent ages customizing them if I hadn’t been on a tight schedule! Once I was ready, I explored the open areas around Lumiose City, but I quickly found out that the Alpha Pokémon were tough opponents and kept defeating me.

Pokemon Legends: Z-A revives the classic experience of encountering Pokemon in their natural habitats. Just like in previous games, some wild Pokemon are more confrontational than others – a Buneary might ignore you, while a Houndour will challenge you to a battle if you enter its territory. Exploring the Wild Areas quickly leads to these encounters, but they’re unlike any battles you’ve had in Pokemon before. You can’t take your time to carefully consider your strategy without facing immediate consequences!

Pokemon encounters in *Pokemon Legends: Z-A* happen seamlessly – a Pokemon will attack whether you try to escape or fight. To battle, you send out a Pokemon, lock onto your target, and choose a move, but both moves and healing items have cooldowns. This creates a fast-paced, action RPG-style experience, unlike traditional Pokemon games. Like exploring *Skyrim*, I often found myself returning to the Pokemon Center for healing. These real-time battles take some getting used to, and *Legends: Z-A* adds another layer of complexity. You need to consider not only your own positioning, but also where your Pokemon are, as they follow you while you dodge, and they can’t attack while moving. These battles have a lot more going on than fans used to the turn-based system might expect.

The battle system is central to *Legends: Z-A*. You’ll use it constantly when facing wild Pokémon and challenging other trainers. Unlike previous games, there’s no pausing to select moves – battles are fast-paced and continuous. Honestly, even if it feels different from traditional Pokémon, it’s really enjoyable. The special Rogue Mega Evolution battles, in particular, brought to mind the challenging but rewarding boss fights found in games like *Kingdom Hearts* or *Elden Ring*. I enjoy both those games and Pokémon, but combining them takes some adjustment. After only an hour of playing, I haven’t quite decided if this new battle style is a good fit for the Pokémon series.

The World of Legends: Z-A Feels Alive, But I Miss the Tall Grass and Sense of Exploration

Beyond the battles, I finally got a little time to wander around Lumiose City! It wasn’t a full, open exploration – I was mostly limited to a Battle Zone and a Wild Area – but I did get a sense of how The Pokemon Company was trying to make a single city feel like a whole region. Honestly, the climbing and parkour elements they added really helped ease my worry that Lumiose would feel too cramped. Still, I’ve always loved running around a big, open Pokemon world, and having just one large city to explore felt… different. It’s just not quite the same experience I’m used to.

I’ve always loved that Pokemon games are all about going on an adventure. It’s so cool to travel around with your Pokemon, discovering different towns and scenery. Honestly, one of my *favorite* things, especially in the older games, is walking into a new city for the first time. Each one feels so unique and alive, and you really get to soak it all in as you explore. But it’s interesting how *Legends: Z-A* is doing things differently – instead of seeing lots of places, it’s letting you really *dive deep* into just one city.

It’s too early to say if focusing so heavily on one city is a negative, but I was impressed with how the level design made Lumiose City feel expansive. I finished the demo wanting to explore everything the map has to offer beyond the established areas. However, this intense focus on a single city feels distinctly different from other Pokémon games. Even *Legends: Arceus*, while centered around Jubilife Village, still featured multiple areas to discover. This new approach feels like a real departure for the series.

As a long-time Pokémon fan, what really struck me about the *Legends* games is how much they try new things. It feels like Game Freak is using these games as a place to experiment and see what works, which is awesome! It’s a great way to keep the franchise fresh and even bring in players who might not usually be into traditional Pokémon games. *Pokémon Legends: Z-A* definitely felt different from a typical Pokémon title, but in a good way – it was the kind of game I could easily lose myself in for hours.

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2025-09-24 16:11