Pokémon Legends Z-A: Improving the Arceus Experience Returning to Lumiose City with dollops of nostalgia
Pokémon Legends: Z-A* returns players to Lumiose City with stunning visuals and a dynamic real-time combat system. Featuring stealth mechanics, side quests, and a rich story centered on Team MZ and AZ, it shines on the Nintendo Switch 2 despite minor performance issues
By Aditya Deshbandhu
Hyderabad: Game Freak’s latest Pokémon title, Legends: Z-A, marks a return to Lumiose City, the heart of Pokémon X and Y, twelve years later. As you board the train to Pokémon’s take on Paris and French culture, it’s hard to miss the gleaming textures and meticulous attention to detail – from posters and paintings to the beautifully curated in-game museum.
However, the visual splendor comes with a caveat: it can only be truly appreciated on Nintendo’s Switch 2. On the original Switch, the game suffers from slow performance, long loading screens, and frequent frame drops. If you’re a fan of the franchise looking forward to diving in, I’d strongly recommend getting the new console for the best experience.
As you alight from the train at Lumiose Station and take your first look at the city, you meet Urbain or Taunie, who help you recover your stolen bag from a mischievous Pancham. By the time you retrieve it, you’ve chosen your starter Pokémon – Chikorita, Totodile, or Tepig – and the game has introduced you to its new real-time combat system and battle zone mechanics.
Once you’re saved by a mysterious 3,000-year-old Floette, you arrive at Hotel Z, your base of operations in Lumiose, and meet the hotel’s owner, AZ, along with the trainer group Team MZ, of which you soon become a part.
Combat here feels similar to Legends: Arceusbut faster and more dynamic. You’re not just hurling powerful moves but also dodging and blocking attacks in real time. In the early game, I found “Protect” to be an extremely useful strategy, especially against an overpowered level 18 Pidgeot in the first battle zone.
Apart from the refined combat mechanics, the game also introduces stealth gameplay, which can be quite useful when trying to catch tricky Pokémon. The rest of the experience stays true to the series’ roots, the main campaign encourages exploration and capturing new Pokémon, creating an overall experience that feels light, friendly, and engaging.
Legends: Z-A features a strong main plot and well-designed side quests, which unlock after the first few story missions. These side quests add welcome variety to the gameplay, as you’ll find yourself solving mysteries, tracking down rare Pokémon, and even helping to maintain harmony between humans and Pokémon.
As the first major Pokémon title for the Switch 2, it’s a strong showing from Game Freak. I only wish there were a Switch 2 upgrade for Legends: Arceus, as playing the two back-to-back would have made for a truly special experience. A few glitches and bugs aside, Legends: Z-A is a fantastic experience.
Sneak Peek
Title: Pokémon Legends: Z-A
Developer: Game Freak
Game Type: Single and Multiplayer Action RPG with adventure and exploration elements
Platforms: Nintendo Switch 2 and Switch Exclusive
Price: US$ 69.99 on the Nintendo Store
Verdict (all scores out of 10)
Innovative Gameplay: 9
Game Handling & Quality: 8.5
Value for Time: 9.5
Value for Money: 7
Overall: 8.5
What Stands Out
* The open-world experience is a significant improvement over Legends: Arceus. Both the wild zones and the battle zones are well implemented
* The real-time combat is fast, engaging, and demands quick thinking
Fails to impress
* The game could use some polish and fine-tuning, there are noticeable glitches with Pokéball throwing mechanics, as well as inconsistencies in the stealth aspects of both combat and Pokémon catching.
* The story and plot are excellent, but it’s about time Pokémon games included voice acting and spoken dialogue.
