It’s been 29 years since Pokémon first appeared on the Game Boy console in 1998. For most of that time, the game has maintained the tried-and-true formula that has made Pokémon a global phenomenon and a billion-dollar series.
The gameplay maintained turn-style combat, with subtle changes and improvements as each generation of the series progressed and as technology advanced. Pokémon Legends: ZA is a radical departure from the traditional gameplay style, with a more fluid style that seeks to move the series forward.
It may take some time to fully understand this new style. I can see the attempt to make it more fluid, but it doesn’t lock the landing perfectly.
Pokemon and the city
This game serves as a direct sequel to Pokémon X and Y. That game was set in the entire Kalos region, but this game is set only in the capital city of Lemoise. The game restricts players to this city, and they cannot explore the region like in previous titles.
This was my first concern with this setup. Restrictions on visits to fields and forests, and on travel, were difficult to understand. Fortunately, however, the City Map is very large and the space for catching wild Pokémon continues to evolve, so you’ll rarely run out of things to do.
Credit: Nintendo
This city certainly takes inspiration from Paris and is also home to the Eiffel Tower. The city is full of alleyways, back roads, and rooftops that lead to nowhere. There is a dedicated fenced area called the “Wild Zone” where you can catch wild Pokemon. They are all leveled, so you can be sure that your current team is strong enough to fight in these zones and “catch them all.”
Also, various wild Pokemon scattered around the city have randomly undergone mega evolutions and must be fought and captured. This is definitely the game’s biggest challenge, as you unlock Mega Evolutions for your team and use them to defeat giant Pokémon. These act as “boss battles” that appear at various points as you progress through missions and stories. All of this happens in real-time, so you can adjust the timing of your attacks, but button mashing can sometimes feel a little tedious.
There was also severe input lag. When you press the button to perform an attack, it does not respond. This caused serious frustration, especially when things got difficult in the Mega Evolution battles. Mega-evolved Pokemon can cause damage not only to your team but also to your trainer. In addition to commanding your Pokémon, your character must also dive and roll out of the way when you take damage and get out of battle.
Please select a movement
Pokémon parties are still limited to four moves at a time. These can be upgraded or changed from the settings menu, so it’s highly recommended that you stay on top of this. You’ll get a basic notification that your Pokémon has learned a new move, but there’s no recommendation system or comparison, so you’ll have to actually try out different moves to find the ones that work best.
Credit: Nintendo
What keeps the fights interesting is how your opponent uses their moves against you. Do you use a big move and wait for it to recharge, or do two smaller ones while your move recharges? That’s what makes this free-form combat so engaging and makes you want to progress through the story and complete all the side missions.
The starter Pokemon for this game are Chicoria (grass), Tepig (fire), and Alligator Eagle (water). It’s also worth noting that as you complete side missions, you’ll quickly find other core Pokémon like Charmander, Squirtle, and Pikachu, so even if you’re not interested in these three starters, you can easily find your favorite right away.
While the combat mechanics are solid and all your favorite Pokémon are here, ready to be caught and explored, the limitations of GameFreak’s graphical capabilities are overwhelmingly apparent, especially in the Nintendo Switch 2 version.
The buildings are all bland with flat windows, and the character models themselves haven’t been updated since the last few games, so there’s no advancement in graphics, but realistically you’re not here for the latest graphics. It’s all about gameplay. The previous game, Pokémon Scarlet, suffered from frame rate issues when it launched on the original Nintendo Switch in 2022. Luckily, everything ran very smoothly on the Nintendo Switch 2 while playing in both docked and handheld mode.
There were no major departures in geographic location. It was able to maintain a stable frame rate even during large scale battles with Mega Evolved Pokémon where so much was happening on screen.
Credit: Nintendo
Movement around the city is also quite limited, especially when compared to previous games. You cannot move around by riding a Pokemon or a bicycle. All travel by foot. It can get very monotonous, especially in the city when everything looks the same.
If you need to reach a specific mission, your task will be made easier, as you can use the map menu and unlock fast travel points at cafes and Pokemon centers. You can also fast travel to the entrance of the Wild Zone, allowing you to quickly travel early in the game.
final thoughts
These changes to the game’s core mechanics are a bold step in giving longtime Pokemon fans something new to try. Fortunately, this brings a new challenge to the company’s tried-and-true formula, making the series feel fresh again.
I could have spent more time decorating the city and updating the character models, but that would mean the game wouldn’t run on the original Switch system. Exploring the city of Lemoise is full of charm, and the Wild Zone, unlocked as you level up throughout the story, allows you to continue with the main mission.
Pokémon Legends: ZA finally moves the series forward, offering some of the best looking and smoothest gameplay the series has ever seen.
4 stars (out of 5)
Highlight: Perfect performance on Switch 2. Great main story and progression system
Highlights: A single location can feel limiting. Open combat system may take some time to get used to
Developer: Game Freak
Publisher: Nintendo
Platform: Nintendo Switch & Nintendo Switch 2
Available: Currently
Review was conducted on Nintendo Switch 2 using a release code provided by the publisher.
A featured header image is also provided by the publisher.
