Pokemon Legends: Z-A Is Nothing Like What I Expected, and It Makes Me Excited for Gen 10 (Review)

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With *Pokemon Legends: Arceus*, Nintendo started a new direction for Pokemon games. However, when *Pokemon Legends: Z-A* was announced, players weren’t sure exactly what to expect from this new series. Would *Z-A* play like *Arceus*? It turns out this latest Pokemon game is quite different, sharing only a few core elements with the previous title. Even after trying a demo, I wasn’t sure what to think, but what I discovered was a surprisingly good experience.

PokĆ©mon Legends: Z-A returns players to Lumiose City, the setting of the original PokĆ©mon X and Y games. Unusually, the entire game takes place within the city itself. Lumiose is undergoing a major renovation, using futuristic ‘holo-tech’ to create areas where PokĆ©mon and people can live together. You play as a newcomer to the city who quickly becomes involved in a captivating story ā€“ one of the most interesting in recent PokĆ©mon games. Legends: Z-A consistently surprised me, both with its narrative and how enjoyable it was to explore, despite being limited to a single city. While it shares some minor issues with games like PokĆ©mon Scarlet & Violet, PokĆ©mon Legends: Z-A is easily one of the best PokĆ©mon games I’ve played in years.

Rating: 4/5

Pros Cons
Compelling storyline that drives gameplay Some visuals, including buildings, are a bit flat
City map is surprisingly expansive and changes as the story progresses Glide mechanic/platforming isnā€™t super intuitive
Battle Royale and Wild Zones level up as you do, creating a balanced challenge Relatively few unique Pokemon to catch, especially early on
Side missions and shopping venues offer expansive gameplay
Fun callbacks to prior games in Kalos while still being accessible to new players

Pokemon Legends: Z-A Might Have the Best Story of Any Pokemon Game

Look, I’ve played a *lot* of Pokemon games, and honestly, the stories used to feel pretty samey. You’d go around beating gym leaders and taking down some villain team ā€“ usually Team Rocket knockoffs. They tried mixing things up later on, but it never really clicked for me. I didn’t even realize how much I wanted a Pokemon game where the story actually took center stage until I played *Pokemon Legends: Z-A*. It finally gave me that experience I’d been waiting for!

The story is the heart of *Legends: Z-A*. Completing the main missions moves the game forward and unlocks new areas of Lumiose City. Several intriguing mysteries keep you engaged and eager to discover what happens next. While battles are frequent, like in other PokƩmon games, each important victory helps you advance and ultimately aid Lumiose City.

One of the best parts of the game was how it introduced new characters gradually. Just when I felt like I understood the main story and its people, another character would appear, adding more depth. Plus, the side quests weren’t just tasks ā€“ they were small stories that helped me connect with the citizens and PokĆ©mon of Lumiose City. I genuinely looked forward to talking to everyone to see if they had a new side quest, hoping to discover another charming little story. That level of engagement is rare in recent PokĆ©mon games.

The story is well-crafted, successfully referencing past Kalos region games while also expanding on the established lore. Both returning players of *X and Y* and newcomers to Kalos will find the narrative accessible and engaging. Everything comes together nicely, resulting in one of the most compelling stories in recent PokƩmon games.

Lumiose City Feels Surprisingly Big And Just Keeps Getting Bigger

Before *Pokemon Legends: Z-A* released, many people worried that limiting the game to a single city wouldn’t be very interesting. However, the developers really delivered! Lumiose City feels surprisingly large and expansive, with lots of secret areas to discover. The ability to climb on rooftops and explore alleyways makes the city feel much bigger than it is. Surprisingly, I ended up using the fast travel system quite a bit, even though the entire game takes place within just one city.

The tutorial felt a little long to me. Having to follow your rival around for so long was frustrating because I just wanted to start exploring on my own. At the beginning of the game, you’re stuck with Urbain or Taunie, and the game prevents you from going to certain areas if you try to wander off. I was eager to customize my character’s appearance and go shopping right away, but you eventually gain your rival’s trust, and then Lumiose City truly becomes open for you to explore as you please.

Initially, I worried there weren’t enough areas to find PokĆ©mon, thinking I could complete the game quickly. However, *PokĆ©mon Legends: Z-A* smartly expands the city of Lumiose as you progress. The game unlocks new Wild Zones, increasing the variety of PokĆ©mon available, and introduces abilities that open up previously inaccessible locations. This keeps the map feeling fresh and prevents exploration from becoming repetitive. The game also offers plenty of items to collect, making it surprisingly easy to earn money by selling things like mushrooms and feathers. While some might find it too easy, itā€™s great for players like me who enjoy buying lots of cosmetic items.

One of the nice things about how the game unfolds is the way it handles leveling. I usually like to spend time leveling up my starter PokĆ©mon until battles are a breeze, but thatā€™s harder to do in *Legends: Z-A*. Opponents in the Battle Royale and PokĆ©mon in the Wild Zones get stronger as you progress, which keeps the game challenging. You can still grind to gain levels if you want, but it doesn’t happen automatically just by exploring like it did in previous games.

Legends: Z-A Doesnā€™t Have Quite the Same ā€œGotta Catch ā€˜Em Allā€ Drive, But I Didnā€™t Miss It

As the trailers showed, *Pokemon Legends: Z-A* really centers around battling. The game has a story where you aim to become the top trainer by winning battles, and because of this, the usual focus on catching every Pokemon isn’t as strong. Once I built a strong team with Pokemon that could Mega Evolve, I wasn’t as motivated to complete the PokeDex. You can still collect Pokemon if you want, but I was more focused on the story and preparing for battles, so I didn’t feel the need to explore every area immediately.

The new real-time battles were a pleasant surprise! While it took some getting used to, managing dodging and attacks felt engaging. The trainer battles, where your Pokemon aren’t directly attacked, offered a good balance between the slower, turn-based system and the challenge of games like *Dark Souls*. Some moves and effects work a bit differently, which took some adjustment, but overall, I ended up enjoying the new battle system quite a bit.

Playing *Pokemon Legends: Z-A* was a genuinely enjoyable experience. I had fun wandering around the city, picking up side quests, and customizing my character’s appearance. While not everything worked perfectly ā€“ some of the city exploration felt a little awkward ā€“ itā€™s a game that kept me wanting to play. I liked that the story was more focused than in games like *Pokemon Scarlet & Violet*, but there was still plenty to do and discover. The main story is just the right length, and with all the extra missions and secrets, I expect to spend many more hours exploring the world even after finishing it.

I’m so excited for *Pokemon Legends: Z-A*! It’s coming out on October 16th for both the Nintendo Switch and the new Nintendo Switch 2. Just so you know, the publisher did give me a code for the Switch 2 to check it out for this review.

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2025-10-14 16:13