I Need More Than Mega Reveals to Be Excited for Pokemon Legends: Z-A

For a while, Pokemon fans pretty much knew what to expect from a new main series game. Though there have been many great spin-offs over the years, a new Pokemon game on the primary Nintendo handheld was a near-annual tradition that followed a formula. But then, Pokemon Legends: Arceus broke the mold, introducing us to our first Legends-style entry. Now, Pokemon Legends: Z-A is once again bringing us a different kind of Pokemon game. But we still don’t really know what makes a Pokemon game a Legends game, and that has me wondering just how excited I should be.

Since Pokemon Legends: Z-A got a confirmed release date, we’ve gotten a lot more details about the new Pokemon game. And yet, I can’t help but feel like I don’t fully know what playing Legends Z-A is going to feel like. Recent teasers have focused heavily on new Mega Evolution reveals, and that leaves me wondering whether there’s much else to show off.

New Mega Evolution Designs Are Fine, But We Need More

Pokemon Legends: Z-A trailers have shown off a bit of the game’s version of Lumiose City, along with a few character teasers. But gameplay-wise, most of what we know is pretty battle-focused. The recent Switch 2 demo for the game showed off its real-time battle mechanic, which is a big departure from Pokemon’s usual turn-based vibes. But aside from that and a few peeks at the city, we don’t know much more about the game. We do, however, know it will bring in new Mega Evolutions.

So far, we’ve seen two new Mega designs. Mega Dragonite was our first reveal during the Pokemon Presents, and then we got a delightful teaser trailer showing off Mega Victreebel. That trailer was a lot of fun, but what it wasn’t was a look at the actual game. The animated trailer leaned into a sort of horror documentary style, which was enjoyable to watch, but left me wondering why we weren’t seeing Mega Victreebel in-game. Perhaps there are bigger gameplay surprises to keep under wraps, or maybe Pokemon just wanted to have a bit of fun. But without seeing it in the game, a new Mega design doesn’t really tell me much.

The Pokemon Company is already hinting at another Mega reveal, likely Mega Howlucha, based on their social media posts. That’s all well and good, and it’s exciting to see a new Mega design. But trailers like this, while fun in their own right, just aren’t going to sell me on Legends Z-A. We know there’s a new battle mechanic and that some familiar faces from Pokemon X and Y will return in this new Legends game. But with the whole thing taking place in just one city, I’d like to see a bit more of what my actual gameplay experience will look like.

Legends Z-A Needs To Sell Me On Its “Just One City” Model

After Pokemon Scarlet and Violet struggled to deliver an open world, I’m not mad at a Pokemon game coming in with a scaled-back map. But having the entire thing set in just one city presents a challenge, and I’m not sure what I’ve seen so far has me convinced the game will pull it off.

So much of the journey in a typical Pokemon game is exploring the world, uncovering each new city and its NPCs. Whether it’s the linear fashion of earlier games or the more open-ended style of Scarlet & Violet, when I think of Pokemon, I think of the journey. By contrast, Pokemon Legends: Arceus itself was quite scaled back. But even that game offered a map with different regions for the player to unlock and uncover. Legends: Z-A, however, promises just Lumiose City. And I’m not sure how to feel. With how stagnant the big cities felt in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, I want to know more of what I can actually do in the game.

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All this focus on the battle mechanic and Mega evolutions makes me worry there isn’t much else to see. Yes, we’ve seen some adorable moments of trainers enjoying a stop at the local cafe with their Pokemon partners. And the avatar customization looks like an excellent return to form. But when we’re not battling it out in the new battle system, what exactly is it that we’re going to do? And how will the game keep its scaled-back map from getting stale?

Of course, it’s possible that The Pokemon Company is holding back gameplay details to avoid spoiling too much before the game arrives. If that’s the case, I’m more than willing to be impressed. But without much to go on aside from a new battle mechanic to master and some wild Mega Evolution designs, it’s hard to get too excited. I want to be thrilled about a new Pokemon game, but without knowing what to expect from Legends: Z-A, I’m more cautious than anything.

There’s still time before Pokemon Legends: Z-A arrives in mid-October. Perhaps we’ll keep getting Mega Evolution reveals, or maybe there’s more teasers in store as we get closer to release. But with doubts about how well the game is going to run on my trusty old Nintendo Switch when that demo leaned into the Switch 2, I sure hope these new details sell me on the game and the new console I might need to really play it.