Remember These 5 Things When You Play Pokemon Legends: Z-A

Pokemon Legends: Z-A is officially out in the world, and that means Pokemon fans are returning to Lumiose City. This new, holo-tech-filled version of the city offers a whole new world for players to explore. And whether you’ve played Pokemon X and Y or not, there’s plenty to uncover as you go. In fact, after putting hours into the game for review, I noticed a few things I’d been missing out on during my first few hours of Pokemon Legends: Z-A. Lucky for you, I’m here to offer some tips to make sure you don’t make the same mistakes.

Although it revisits a familiar setting, Pokemon Legends: Z-A is a new kind of Pokemon game. Familiar faces aside, the game changes up battling and Lumiose City itself in various ways. Because that battle gimmick is so unique, it tends to be the first thing to catch your attention. But as the game opened up and I got deeper in, I noticed some details I had overlooked at first, or got introduced to elements I wish I’d known about from the start. Not only did these details make me appreciate the game more, they also improved my overall experience with Legends: Z-A.

5. Not All Pokemon Appear in Wild Areas

I’ll admit, I was initially very hesitant about the whole Wild Area thing. Even if it does fit into the story of the game, having specific areas to enter and exit before you encounter Pokemon felt strange. But if you pay attention to your surroundings, you’ll realize Lumiose is home to many Pokemon outside of those zones. The Fletchlings flying around are pretty easy to spot, but some of Lumiose’s other residents can be a bit harder to see.

Be sure to look in the trees as you roam the streets, as they’re often home to bug-type Pokemon, as well as Pancham and its friends. And climbing rooftops often leads to more surprises, including an early way to catch your first Eevee. Pokemon Legends: Z-A feels a lot more immersive when you notice that the city is home to Wild Pokemon outside of the specified zones, along with those roaming with their trainers.

4. You Can Actually Ride in the Taxis

Minor spoilers, but one of your early opponents in the Battle Royale is a Lumiose City taxi driver. My initial reaction was, “Oh, it’s fun we learn their jobs before we battle them.” But it turns out this was also a way of trying to make sure players realized you can actually use the taxi service in Lumiose City. I completely ignored the blue taxis as part of the city’s texture until I accidentally spoke to a driver at random. Then I learned, those taxis will actually drive you to key locations around the city! Just approach the drivers standing near the taxis and talk to them to pick your destination and get going.

Given that you can fast-travel to most major locations, this isn’t necessarily a big help in terms of getting around once you’ve visited most key points. But the taxi can go to more general places, such as key plazas, which won’t be available for fast travel. That, and the taxi driver will offer commentary and tips during the drive. It really makes Lumiose City feel like a real city, so I recommend doing it at least a few times just for the experience. It will cost you, but it’s a fun little detail that I appreciate in the game.

3. More Wild Areas Will Unlock as You Progress

When you start Pokemon Legends: Z-A, looking at the Lumiose City map can be a bit disappointing. Each Wild Area has a clear number of Pokemon that will appear in it, and at the beginning, it feels like you’ll catch every wild ‘mon in no time. However, that’s actually one of the ways Game Freak and The Pokemon Company keep things interesting. As the plot progresses, you’ll get occasional notifications that new Wild Areas have been added to the city.

These notifications came way more often than I even thought was possible, ensuring that there was almost always a new Wild Area to explore. Not only does this add more Pokemon to catch, but those Pokemon are also at higher levels. In that way, the city levels up with you, kind of mimicking the experience of travelling to new cities through areas with higher-level Pokemon. So, don’t worry about running out of Pokemon to catch like I did. More of them will arrive.

2. The Game Has a Poke Ball Return Service

If you like to talk to every NPC, you’ll probably figure this one out. But if not, be sure to chat with the guy standing out in front of most Pokemon Centers in Lumiose City. He helpfully collects any Poke Ball you throw that misses a wild Pokemon and returns them to you. This means that any time you talk to him, you get a nice restock on your Poke Balls, free of charge.

With all the shiny objects on the ground around Lumiose, money for more Poke Balls isn’t exactly hard to come by. But if you’re trying to buy nice clothes from every boutique in the city, it’s nice to save some money on Poke Balls by letting this helpful NPC replenish the ones you lost. I make it a habit of chatting with him any time I stop by the Pokemon Center to heal my time and stock up on items. Might as well get the free Poke Ball return service while you’re there, right?

1. You’ll Eventually Get a Glide Ability to Help with Exploration

I’ll admit, I did actually know about this thanks to my helpful Nintendo rep when I played the Pokemon Legends: Z-A demo. But I couldn’t help but consider how I’d feel if I was playing without the knowledge that I’d eventually have a new glide ability. Some of the scaffolding platforms and rooftops feel impossible to navigate early on. That’s by design. Eventually, your rival will teach you a cool new ability to help you traverse more of the city.

So, if you encounter an area that seems impossible to reach without a more impressive jump ability, it’s likely meant to be accessed later on. It’s similar to know Miraidon/Koraidon gets more abilities throughout Pokemon Scarlet & Violet. The Rotom Glide jump isn’t my favorite mechanic, as it sort of sends you up, then down, rather than a true glide. But it is helpful for reaching new platforms and rooftop areas in Lumiose City, so you can rest assured this will get easier.

What fun details have you noticed in Pokemon Legends: Z-A so far? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!

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