🎉 Pokémon Legends: Z-A feels like a mega evolution for the franchise! It’s a perfect blend of familiar elements and fresh ideas, drawing from the core series, battle mechanics inspired by the anime, exploration from ‘Legends: Arceus’, and a story focus reminiscent of ‘Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness’. I’ve been hooked since I got my hands on the preview copy, struggling to tear myself away to write this review!
🏙️ Welcome to Lumiose City – the star of the show! You’re drafted in to help save it from ‘Rogue Mega Evolutions’ and navigate the tension between the locals and tech firm Quasartico Inc. While I was skeptical about a single city carrying the game, Lumiose delivers with its vast, bustling streets filled with shops, side quests, parkour challenges, and wild Pokémon. There’s even more to explore than ever before!
🛡️ Battle time! ‘Legends: Z-A’ shakes up the classic turn-based battles with real-time combat. You’re right in the action, dodging attacks and using your Pokémon’s moves strategically. Positioning matters, and attacks come in various types like melee, ranged, and area of effect. It’s a thrilling change that I hope to see more of in the competitive scene!
🏆 Z-A Royale – a new take on Gym Challenges! Instead of battling Gym Leaders, you’ll fight opponents in Battle Zones to earn challenger tickets and progress through 26 ranks. Completing optional challenges keeps things exciting and varied, and I love the shift away from one-note teams.
🌟 Mega Evolutions galore! ‘Legends: Z-A’ introduces a slew of new mega evolutions, covering a broad range of fan favorites and niche picks. I won’t spoil which Pokémon get new final forms, but each one feels like an excellent addition. Plus, you can now mega evolve any of your Pokémon provided they have the corresponding stone, allowing for more strategic planning on the fly.
📈 Difficulty scaling – a missed opportunity? While ‘Pokémon Legends: Z-A’ isn’t known for its difficulty, I found it easy to outpace the game by completing my Pokédex and side missions. I wish there was some difficulty scaling to keep my foes more challenging, especially with larger or higher-level teams.
🎵 A musical delight! One of my favorite aspects of ‘Legends: Z-A’ is its incredible soundtrack. Each track sells the changing vibes of Lumiose City and is an absolute joy to listen to.
Should you play Pokémon Legends: Z-A?
👍 Yes, if:
– You want a fresh take on a Pokémon adventure
– You enjoy limited open-world adventures
– You have a Nintendo Switch 2
👎 No, if:
– You crave a difficult game
– You’re a Pokémon purist
Accessibility features: ‘Pokémon Legends: Z-A’ has no additional accessibility features beyond the Switch and Switch 2’s built-in options.
