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Pokémon Legends: Z-A (Switch 2) Review
Image Credit: Nintendo
Loading...We all know the tried-and-true formula of Pokémon by heart. The turn-based battler has been out for almost 30 years, and even the most recent iterations on the Switch (Scarlet and Violet), while changing some of the gameplay elements, have kept many pieces the same that they started with all those years ago.
However, with Pokémon Legends: Arceus, we started to see a change in gameplay. From the crafting of Pokéballs to how capturing and battles were handled, things were different, giving the series a breath of fresh air it needed.
Now, we have Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the latest entry in the series that shies away from the formula. Set only in Lumiose City, you’re tasked with climbing up the ranks of the Z-A Royale by battling trainers throughout parts of the city at night, while capturing and battling wild Pokémon in “Wild Zones” throughout the city during the day. Gone are gym battles and exploring the region, as all exploration is done either through city streets or the rooftops.
Battles are no longer passive turn-based affairs, but are active, forgoing PP and instead using a timer cooldown to let you know when a skill is ready to be used again. You can also run around during battles, which becomes needed when fighting some of the Alpha Pokémon and rarer creatures, as a knockout of your Pokémon can let the wild ones target you instead as you switch to your next battler.
Another big change for battles is the ability to swap back moves previously learned and forgotten. Forgetting a move is no longer permanent. Instead, you can switch in and out any learned ability, meaning you can respect before going to certain zones or battles for abilities that will also be the most effective for the battles ahead.
There are also quite a few Mega Pokémon to take on throughout the game, many with multiple phases or gimmicks you have to learn to make sure you don’t quickly get knocked out in the midst of battle. It’s another way Game Freak thought to breathe new life in an older battle system.
At night, sections of the city become Battle Zones where you try to find as many trainers as possible to take on, gathering the required number of points needed to get a battle pass to take on your next ranked foe as you climb up the charts. This helps develop a good cycle between the day and night, ensuring you’re never scratching your head with nothing to do.
Away from the Z-A Royale, there are also plenty of side quests to do for the citizens of the city. Sometimes, they just give additional items, money or TMs, other times they will culminate with a chance to capture some of the rarer Pokémon in the game, after a longer battle. Overall, there are more than 100 side quests to take on throughout your journey.
Graphically, the game does look nice and run smooth on the Switch 2. However, given that you’re constrained to just one city, there’s only so much you can see or do with a plain city. Most buildings can’t be walked through either, so you’re stuck with many similar facades as you run around the city finding your next destination. Thankfully, the characters you interest with do have personality and color, which can help make up for it.
