Pokemon Legends Z-A just dropped, and honestly? It’s one wild ride that’ll have you either completely hooked or scratching your head wondering what happened to the exploration magic from Arceus. This game takes everything you thought you knew about Pokemon battles and flips it on its head with real-time combat that actually feels exciting. But here’s the thing – the whole adventure happens in just one city, and that’s either going to be your cup of tea or a total dealbreaker.
Let’s be real: this is the most experimental mainline-adjacent Pokemon game we’ve gotten in years, and after spending 30+ hours wandering Lumiose City’s streets, battling trainers at night, and hunting down rogue Mega Evolutions, I’ve got plenty to tell you about what works, what doesn’t, and whether this game’s worth your time and money.
The second Legends game ditches basically everything that made Arceus special. Instead of exploring vast wilderness areas in ancient Sinnoh, you’re stuck in modern-day Lumiose City – yep, the same Paris-inspired metropolis from Pokemon X and Y, but now it’s getting a total makeover.
The game takes place about five years after X and Y’s events. Lumiose is undergoing this massive urban redevelopment project led by a company called Quasartico Inc., and they’re trying to create these “Wild Zones” where Pokemon and people can actually live together. Sounds cool on paper, right? In practice, it’s a bit more complicated.
What really sets Z-A apart is the combat system. Game Freak went absolutely bonkers and turned Pokemon battles into real-time action fights with cooldowns, positioning, and actual dodging. It’s basically what the anime battles always looked like, and after nearly 30 years of turn-based combat, this shift hits different.
Okay, so this is where Z-A absolutely shines. The moment you lock eyes with a trainer or stumble into a wild Pokemon, you’re not going into some menu-based turn system anymore. Everything happens in real time, and your Pokemon follows you around the battlefield like they’re actually, you know, alive.
Each Pokemon can have four moves equipped, and every move has its own cooldown timer. Once you hit a button to attack, your Pokemon locks into place while the animation plays out, leaving them totally vulnerable. This means timing is everything now.
The cool part? Attacks have to physically connect to deal damage. No more accuracy percentages or praying to the RNG gods. If your Totodile uses Bubble Beam from across the arena, that beam needs to actually hit the opponent. Physical moves like Bite force your Pokemon to run up close, which puts them in danger but might land faster.
Position matters more than it ever has. You’re controlling both yourself and indirectly controlling your Pokemon’s movement. Got a super-effective attack coming your way? You better dodge. Enemy using Dig? Watch for that dirt ring and get out of the way before they pop up underneath you.
Moves like Protect and Detect got completely reimagined. Detect has a shorter cooldown but protects for less time, so you need better reflexes. Protect lasts longer but takes more time to refresh. Even status moves like Toxic Spikes and Fire Spin become tactical traps you can set up to control the battlefield.
The type chart still matters (thank goodness), but now you’re thinking about it while dodging attacks and managing cooldowns. It’s honestly exhausting in the best way possible during tough fights.
After being benched for literally 12 years, Mega Evolution returns as Z-A’s signature mechanic. As you land hits, a meter fills up. Once it’s full, click that right stick and boom – your Pokemon Mega Evolves for a limited time with boosted stats and supercharged attacks.
The catch? A well-timed Mega Evolution can completely turn a losing battle around, but it’s not some automatic win button. Your Mega can still get wrecked if you’re careless with positioning or timing. Plus, you need to collect Mega Stones for each Pokemon, which you’ll get from battles, purchases, or defeating Rogue Mega Evolution bosses.
Speaking of which, Game Freak added some absolutely wild new Mega designs. Mega Dragonite already stirred up the fanbase online (love it or hate it, that design is bold), but there’s a solid mix of cool and quirky forms that’ll keep you hunting them down.
Here’s where the game structure gets interesting. By day, Lumiose is your typical city with cafes, boutiques, and NPCs wandering around. But when night falls? The whole vibe changes.
Battle Zones pop up in different districts, and trainers start prowling the streets looking for fights. Your goal is to battle enough trainers in a single night to earn points toward a promotion match. Win your promotion match, and you climb from Rank Z all the way up to Rank A. It’s basically a tournament arc that happens every single night.
The brilliant part is the stealth mechanic. If you spot a trainer before they spot you and land a sneak attack, you get a free hit on their first Pokemon AND your cooldowns reset immediately. It’s super satisfying to plan out your approach, hide behind a corner, and jump someone with a type advantage.
You can also grab Bonus Cards scattered around the arena that give extra rewards for meeting specific conditions – stuff like “defeat opponents using status moves” or “win with only Plus Moves.” These keep the grinding from getting too repetitive.
As you rank up, higher-level trainers join the mix, so the difficulty actually scales pretty nicely. By Rank C or B, you’ll be facing teams 5-10 levels above yours, which forces you to actually use strategy instead of just button-mashing.
If the Z-A Royale is the main course, Rogue Mega Evolution encounters are the spicy dessert. Throughout the story, these supersized Mega Evolved Pokemon go berserk and terrorize the city. Your job? Take them down in pseudo-raid battles that feel more like MMO boss fights than anything Pokemon’s done before.
These battles are genuinely intense. The Rogue Mega doesn’t just target your Pokemon – it targets YOU, the player character. You need to dodge AOE attacks, manage your Pokemon’s health, heal at the right moments, and watch out for environmental hazards all at once.
The key strategy is finding openings to deal damage, then timing your own Mega Evolution for maximum impact. Sometimes you’ll need to recall your Pokemon and literally hide behind obstacles to avoid taking damage yourself. It’s chaotic, strategic, and way more engaging than the Noble Pokemon fights from Arceus (which basically felt like glorified quick-time events).
Beating these bosses rewards you with exclusive Mega Stones, so they’re worth hunting down even if you’re not super into the story.
Alright, let’s talk about the elephant in the room. The entire game takes place in Lumiose City. No routes. No wilderness. No other towns. Just. One. City.
On one hand, Lumiose is packed with stuff. There are winding alleyways, rooftop areas you can climb to via scaffolding, cafes on every corner, boutiques for fashion customization, and plenty of NPCs to interact with. The density is impressive when you first arrive.
On the other hand? After about 5-7 hours, you’ve basically seen everything. The districts don’t have much visual variety. Most buildings look identical. Streets share the same flat grey textures. Everything starts blending together into this sterile, lifeless urban landscape.
The Wild Zones are Lumiose’s attempt at giving you places to catch Pokemon, but they’re honestly disappointing. Instead of sprawling areas to explore, you get tiny pockets of land – small parks, boxed-off streets, construction sites. They’re cramped and don’t give you much room to maneuver or use stealth tactics.
Worse, you can’t use any tools like smoke bombs or throwable berries to distract Pokemon like you could in Arceus. This makes catching Pokemon way more tedious since you’ll constantly aggro other wild Pokemon while trying to sneak up on a specific one.
The upside? Game Freak knew catching would be less fun, so they streamlined the Pokedex requirements. You only need to catch a Pokemon once to fill its entry (instead of catching multiples and completing tasks). When you knock out a wild Pokemon, you also get one free catch attempt. So at least completing Wild Zones doesn’t feel like a total grind.
Still, if you loved Arceus for the exploration and that “wandering through untamed wilderness” vibe, Z-A’s tight urban setting will feel super restrictive by comparison.
The Pokedex is a solid mix of Kalos-native Pokemon and fan favorites from other regions. You’ll see Trubbish hanging around dumpsters (naturally), the Unova monkey trio chilling in trees, Pidgey and Fletchling perched on lampposts, and even rarer spawns like Goomy hiding under bridges during rain.
The atmosphere is cute – Pokemon actually feel integrated into city life, which captures that anime vibe of Pokemon and people coexisting. But the trade-off is that most interesting Pokemon are locked behind Wild Zones, and you lose that sense of discovery that comes from finding unexpected encounters in diverse environments.
Oh, and trade evolutions are back, which is annoying since Arceus let you evolve trade Pokemon with special items. Z-A has online multiplayer, so I guess that’s the excuse, but it still feels like a step backward.
This is huge. Pokemon Legends Z-A on Switch 2 runs at a rock-solid 60fps in both handheld and docked modes, with only occasional minor dips during extremely busy late-game battles or rapid menu cycling. Load times are snappy. The image quality is sharper. It genuinely feels like a smooth, polished experience.
Switch 1? Not so much. The base version runs at 30fps, has noticeably lower-resolution textures, fewer particle effects, and longer load times. It’s stable enough (way better than Scarlet/Violet’s disaster launch), but the difference between versions is night and day.
If you have access to a Switch 2, absolutely get the upgraded version. The 60fps makes the real-time combat feel so much more responsive and enjoyable. On Switch 1, it’s playable and fine, but you’re definitely getting the compromised version of what Game Freak envisioned.
Let’s not sugarcoat this – Z-A looks kinda rough. It’s not as broken as Scarlet/Violet at launch, but the presentation feels cheap and outdated, especially compared to what modern hardware can do.
Lumiose City has flat, repeated textures everywhere. Buildings lack detail. Shadows look like ink blots. Windows are just flat textures with no depth. NPCs pop in during busy areas even on Switch 2. The whole city has this sterile, lifeless quality that doesn’t reflect the diverse factions and ideologies the story keeps telling you exist.
There’s no voice acting whatsoever. Not even Zelda-style voice grunts or clips. Just complete silence during cutscenes, which makes dramatic moments feel awkward and incomplete. Watching a well-choreographed scene play out in total silence is genuinely bizarre in 2025.
The soundtrack, though? Actually pretty great. Z-A features one of the best orchestral scores in the series, with smooth jazz influences, accordion pieces, and fantastic rearrangements of X & Y classics. The battle themes especially slap. Music is definitely carrying the presentation on its back.
Fashion customization is extensive and fun, with tons of boutiques offering different styles. That’s a bright spot if you’re into character customization.
Z-A’s narrative is noticeably more mature than typical Pokemon fare. The game doesn’t treat you like a beginner, and the story tackles themes of coexistence, legacy, and moving forward from tragedy.
The plot revolves around Team MZ (yes, really) and various factions in Lumiose who have different views on the Wild Zone project and Pokemon integration. Characters like Ivor (a hulking dude who wants to tear down Wild Zones so Pokemon and people live together WITHOUT barriers) and Corbeau (a stylish mob boss dedicated to keeping Lumiose safe) give the city actual texture and conflicting ideologies.
Side quests are legitimately funny and self-aware. The writing references deep-cut X & Y lore, fan memes, conspiracy theories, and long-standing community jokes. If you’ve been a Pokemon fan for a while, you’ll catch tons of nods and winks.
Zygarde, the Legendary Pokemon who barely mattered in X & Y, finally gets the spotlight it deserved. Without spoiling anything, Z-A explores Zygarde’s role as the “balance keeper” and connects it meaningfully to the themes of people and Pokemon coexisting in an urban environment.
The story won’t blow your mind, but it’s solid, more engaging than recent entries, and actually respects longtime fans’ intelligence.
The main story takes about 25-30 hours to complete if you’re mainlining it. Add side quests, Pokedex completion, and shiny hunting, and you’re looking at 50-100+ hours of content.
Post-game includes:
The Z-A Royale structure naturally lends itself to grinding, which keeps you busy even after the credits roll. If you’re into competitive battling, the new real-time system opens up tons of strategic possibilities, though the meta is still developing.
DLC has been announced (Mega Dimension expansion), which will likely add more areas and content. Whether that fixes the restrictive setting remains to be seen.
Unlike Scarlet/Violet’s infamous launch, Z-A is surprisingly stable on both platforms. Major bugs are rare. Pokemon don’t fall through floors. Climbing ladders doesn’t crash the game. It’s a genuine relief.
That said, there are minor annoyances:
Nothing gamebreaking, but polish could still be better for a AAA franchise.
Here’s the honest breakdown:
Buy it if you:
Skip it or wait for a sale if you:
Z-A is a bold experiment that succeeds where it counts (combat) but stumbles in other areas (scope, visuals). It’s not the evolution of Arceus’ formula – it’s a completely different direction that prioritizes battling over exploration.
If you’re burned out on traditional Pokemon gameplay and want something genuinely different, Z-A delivers. But if you’re here for that “adventure across a region” feel, you might leave disappointed.
Depends on what you value. Z-A has superior combat and runs better technically, but Arceus offers way more exploration freedom and environmental variety. Z-A is more focused but also more restrictive. If you prefer battles, choose Z-A. If you prefer catching and exploration, Arceus wins.
Nope! Z-A takes place five years after X & Y but explains everything you need to know. Playing X & Y will enhance your appreciation for callbacks and lore references, but it’s not required to understand or enjoy the story.
Main story takes 25-30 hours. Completing the Pokedex, side quests, and post-game content pushes it to 50-100+ hours depending on your goals. Speed runners are clearing the main campaign in about 20 hours.
No. The entire game takes place within Lumiose City’s boundaries. There are no routes, no other towns, and no wilderness areas to explore. Wild Zones are confined pockets within the city itself.
Most players find it refreshing and engaging, especially during tough battles and boss encounters. It requires more active participation than traditional turn-based combat. However, some longtime fans prefer the classic system and find Z-A’s battles too hectic or button-mashy at times.
No new Pokemon or regional variants. The focus is on existing Pokemon and new Mega Evolution forms. About 16 Pokemon receive new Mega forms, including some wild designs that have divided the fanbase.
Switch 2 version is significantly better – 60fps vs 30fps, better visuals, shorter load times, and sharper image quality. If you have both systems, get the Switch 2 version without question. Switch 1 is playable but feels like a compromised experience.
Yes. The “Mega Dimension” DLC has been announced and centers around the Mythical Pokemon Hoopa. It will add new Mega forms and content. Release date hasn’t been confirmed yet, but it’s expected in early 2025.
The game gives you one starter Pokemon at the beginning (choice between Chikorita, Totodile, and Tepig from past generations). You can potentially catch or obtain the other starters later through various methods, but it’s not as straightforward as Arceus where starters appeared in the wild.
If you love Pokemon battles and don’t mind the restricted setting, yes. The combat system alone justifies the price for many players. However, if you’re primarily interested in exploration or expect the scope of a typical Pokemon game, wait for a sale. The compact setting makes it feel less substantial than other $60 Pokemon titles.
Final Score: 7.5/10
Pokemon Legends Z-A reinvents battles but sacrifices exploration, resulting in a focused yet restrictive experience that’ll thrill combat enthusiasts while leaving adventure-seekers wanting more. A worthwhile experiment that proves Game Freak still has innovative ideas, even if the execution isn’t perfect.
What are your thoughts on Legends Z-A’s real-time combat? Drop your experiences in the comments below!
