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

When Pokemon Legends: Arceus arrived, it introduced us to an entirely new kind of Pokemon game. But when Pokemon Legends: Z-A was revealed, fans still didn’t quite know what makes a “Legends” game. How similar would Z-A be to Legends: Arceus? It turns out that Pokemon’s newest venture is something entirely new, with only a few key features in common with the prior Legends game. Even after playing a demo earlier this year, I didn’t quite know what to expect from Pokemon Legends: Z-A. And what I found was very much a pleasant surprise.

Pokemon Legends: Z-A brings us back to the Kalos region’s Lumiose City, first introduced in Pokemon X and Y. It’s set entirely within the city, something that gave many Pokemon fans pause when it was revealed. Lumiose is in the midst of an urban redevelopment project aimed at helping Pokemon and people coexist thanks to the use of holo-tech wild zones. As the main character, we arrive in the city and immediately get swept up in one of the most compelling stories in recent Pokemon history. Legends: Z-A managed to surprise me many times over, both with the story that unfolds and how much fun I could have in a single city. Though not without a few flaws fans will recognize from recent entries like Pokemon Scarlet & Violet, Pokemon Legends: Z-A might be one of the best Pokemon games I’ve played in recent memory.

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 isn’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

Pokemon games have always been a bit of a mixed bag with storytelling. Many of the early games told a relatively similar story, one where you battle your way through gyms and defeat a Team Rocket-style entity that is typically up to no good. Eventually, Pokemon changed up that formula, but with mixed results. But I didn’t realize how much I’d been craving a truly story-driven Pokemon game until Pokemon Legends: Z-A gave me one.

In Legends: Z-A, the story is the driving force. Your main missions are what progress the game, opening up more of Lumiose as you go. There are a few different mysteries at the center of the story, drawing you in and making you want to learn more. Like many Pokemon games, battles come into play at every turn, but each major opponent offers up progress in your journey to help Lumiose City.

I especially enjoyed how new character introductions are spaced throughout the game. Every time I thought I had a grasp on the key players, someone new came in to offer more complexity to the narrative. On top of that, the side missions add little side stories to help you get to know the people and Pokemon of Lumiose City. I found myself wanting to actually talk to anyone with a side mission to offer, in the hopes of uncovering another fun little side story. That’s certainly not something I can recall feeling with other Pokemon games in recent memory.

Overall, the story does a nice job of calling back to prior Kalos games and advancing the lore of the region. Players familiar with X and Y will recognize familiar faces and places, but those who are just stepping into Kalos for the first time won’t feel at a loss, either. The threads all come together in a satisfying way, making for one of the better stories a Pokemon game has offered in recent memory.

Lumiose City Feels Surprisingly Big And Just Keeps Getting Bigger

One major concern going into Pokemon Legends: Z-A was its restricted setting. How would the game manage to make one city feel engaging for an entire game? Well, overall, they kind of nailed it. Lumiose feels much bigger than I expected, with plenty of hidden nooks and crannies to explore. Climbing on rooftops and venturing into the alleyways means that the map doesn’t feel small at all. On the contrary, I found myself using the fast travel feature way more often than you’d think in a game with just one city to roam.

I will say, I wish the tutorial was a bit shorter. The amount of time you spend following your rival around can feel a bit frustrating when you want to explore. Early on, you have to stick with Urbain/Taunie, and will get a message blocking you off from certain areas if you try to roam. I wanted to immediately change my avatar’s outfit, so I wanted to go shopping at once. But eventually, your new rival trusts you enough to leave you be, and that’s when Lumiose City opens up to your whims.

At first, the number of Wild Zones seems insufficient, and I thought I’d catch every Pokemon in the game within a few hours of play. But in a clever move, Pokemon Legends: Z-A opens up more of Lumiose as you play. New Wild Zones open, adding to the number of Pokemon you can catch, and new abilities let you access new areas over time. In that way, the map is ever-changing, keeping you from getting bored as you explore. There are a lot of shiny objects to gather as you explore, making it pretty easy (maybe too easy) to get a ton of money from selling mushrooms and feathers. But if you’re eager to buy a bunch of fancy clothes like I was, that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

Another perk of the way the city opens up over time is leveling. I’m the kind of Pokemon player who likes to overlevel my starter so battles become less of a challenge. That doesn’t happen nearly as easily in Legends: Z-A. The Battle Royale opponents get stronger as you climb the ranks, as do the Pokemon in Wild Zones. So, battles remain fairly balanced as you play through, ensuring a challenge even as you get further on. You could certainly still grind to higher levels if you want to, but it doesn’t just happen as you explore in the way it did in prior games.

Legends: Z-A Doesn’t Have Quite the Same “Gotta Catch ‘Em All” Drive, But I Didn’t Miss It

As expected from the trailer and demos, Pokemon Legends: Z-A is indeed very battle-focused. It’s story-driven, with an emphasis on climbing the ranks of the Battle Royale to become the stronger trainer in the city. Because of this, that “gotta catch ’em all” feeling kind of takes a backseat. Once I had a good team of Pokemon that could Mega Evolve to contend with tough opponents, I didn’t feel as compelled to fill in my PokeDex. That collection element is still there for those who want it, but between the story and ensuring my team was ready for its next battle, I didn’t really feel like I had to 100% every Wild Zone right away.

The real-time battles are certainly a change, but I found I liked them better than I expected to. Dodging wild Pokemon while trying to keep your own in range for attacks still felt like a lot to juggle at times. But Pokemon in trainer battles don’t attack you, so those were a nice midway between turn-based and real-time Dark Souls vibes. Certain moves and status conditions work differently in these battles than we’re used to, which could be an adjustment at times. But overall, I like the battle system more than I expected to, once I got used to it.

Overall, playing Pokemon Legends: Z-A just felt good. I enjoyed exploring the city, collecting side missions, and gathering clothes to craft my ideal outfit. Not every mechanic is a win, and some of the platforming elements of exploring the city felt a bit clunky, but it’s a game that had me wanting to come back for more. I appreciated having a bit more of a straightforward story than in games like Pokemon Scarlet & Violet, while still having plenty of side content to immerse myself in. The main story is a good length, and with all those side missions and hidden areas to explore, I can easily see myself sinking many more hours into Legends: Z-A even after the credits roll.

Pokemon Legends: Z-A releases on October 16th for the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2. A Nintendo Switch 2 code was provided by the publisher for the purposes of this review.