You Should Play Elden Ring to Prepare for Pokémon’s New Boss Battles

Pokemon fans have known for a while that Pokemon Legends: Z-A plans to mix up the battle format in a big way. And with the first Nintendo Switch 2 demo at the Pokemon World Championships, some fans got to experience it for themselves. When I heard about these battles, I was curious to know how they’d feel. Then Nintendo offered up the chance for me to find out, and I came away thinking it felt a lot like Pokemon’s answer to Elden Ring.

To be clear, Legends: Z-A isn’t actually a Soulslike. But it does feature fast-paced combat with multiple components to juggle, requiring fast reflexes that prior Pokemon battles did not. It takes the light real-time elements from Noble Pokemon battles in Legends: Arceus and turns them up several notches. As I dodged my way around one of the new Rogue Mega Evolution Pokemon, I couldn’t help but think of my time trying to survive in Elden Ring Nightreign. So if you’re looking for a game to play to prep for the new Pokemon, you might get more mileage out of something like Elden Ring or Skryim than you will Pokemon Scarlet and Violet or even Legends: Arceus.

Pokemon Legends: Z-A Embraces Real-Time Combat, Dodge Rolls Included

To be clear, all battles in Pokemon Legends: Z-A use the new real-time model. You will be dodging your way out of area of effect attacks and avoiding moves whether you’re taking on Wild Pokemon, battling trainers, or contending with Rogue Megas. But these Rogue Megas in particular bring a real Boss Battle vibe that I’ve personally not experienced while playing Pokemon before.

Much as I love a good action RPG, I spend a lot of my Skryim time yelling because my character died. My reflexes are fast, but they’re not Elden Ring fast. So, the new Pokemon battles challenged me in a way I wasn’t expecting. You have to focus on several things at once, all in real time. There’s moving your avatar out of the way of attacks, but also thinking about how your movement will cause your Pokemon to follow you. That means your dodge could send your Mega Absol running right through a giant pile of poison sludge. And as you’re doing that, you have to remember to actually have your Pokemon attack the enemy, selecting moves from the on-screen menu. Plus, let’s not forget healing items, which now come with a cooldown timer between uses.

In all, these battles feel like a new way to Pokemon. A new, fast-paced way to Pokemon that may be challenging for gamers more accustomed to the old turn-based model. Certain moves work differently in the new setup, and things like status effects will have really fast consequences if you aren’t quick on the draw with items. The game offers a few helping hands, like quick reference icons to help remember which moves will be super effective against your opponent. But even so, it’s a learning curve that will delight action RPG fans and potentially perplex longtime main series Pokemon players. In my one hour of playtime, I never quite felt like I mastered it, but I walked away excited to see if I could. It’s a new challenge from a franchise that has largely played it safe in recent years, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

Strategy On a Whole Other Level with Pokemon Legends: Z-A Boss Battles

While all battles feature the new real-time components, nothing made me think of Elden Ring quite as much as the Rogue Mega Evolution battles. These are essentially the “boss battles” of Legends: Z-A, something between an action RPG boss fight and a more traditional Pokemon Raid. Trainers face off against a superpowered Pokemon that has fallen victim to the rogue Mega Evolution phenomenon plaguing Lumiose City. To calm it down, you must, of course, defeat it in battle. But that’s not as easy as you might think.

The battle I got to experience had the kinds of battlefield hazards I associate with my time playing games like Path of Exile 2. As I managed to get its health down, the Mega Victreebel started spewing poison all over the battlefield. That gave me and my Pokemon something new to dodge, and when I failed to do so, the Pokemon and I both went down, quick. Those dodge rolls become even more important to avoid Mega-charged attacks, but also even more risky. As I rolled out of the way, I inadvertently brought my Mega Absol right into the poison hazard. Down it went, in record time.

In these battles, Pokemon Legends: Z-A does offer players a mercy I can’t foresee FromSoftware fans wanting. If you fail miserably while trying to defeat a Rogue Mega, you have a choice. You can start over, or you can resume the fight with the Pokemon’s health damage in tract. In other words, you and your Pokemon are fully healed, but the boss Pokemon still has all that damage you dealt. I can already foresee myself using this handy cheat code to make the Rogue Mega battles a little less terrifying. But for players who enjoy that Elden Ring level of challenge, you can always opt instead to refuse this helping hand and start over from 0 until you truly figure out the ideal strategy.

Pokemon Legends: Z-A is giving us what feel like true boss battles with these Rogue Megas. Trainer battles, too, feel a bit more robust than they have in prior entries. You’ll need to think fast and adapt to each Pokemon or trainer’s specific strategy, because they’re different on a whole new level. If you wanted a challenge from your Pokemon, I’m pretty sure Legends: Z-A is here to deliver.

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Pokemon Legends Z-A Bringing Back Feature That Was Missing in Arceus