Pokémon Legends: Z-A is the newest entry in the long-running Pokémon franchise, following in the footsteps of Pokémon Legends: Arceus. It builds on the idea Arceus introduced with its real-time Pokémon capture and battle system. This game features one of the most innovative combat systems in the series so far. On the technical side, its release on the Nintendo Switch 2 marks a first for the franchise — running smoothly at 60 FPS with a noticeable resolution boost. While it may not be as visually ambitious as some big-budget titles, within the Pokémon series, it easily stands among the best-looking games to date.
Pokémon Legends: Z-A takes place in Lumiose City, located in the Kalos region. The story unfolds five years after the events of Pokémon X and Y. Lumiose City, inspired by Paris, offers a variety of distinct environments. Instead of the open wild areas seen in Pokémon Legends: Arceus, this game centers around a single urban location. The developers replaced traditional Pokémon habitats with capture zones scattered throughout the city, while battles occur in specific battle zones that often take place at night.
The story follows a new protagonist who arrives in Lumiose City and soon becomes involved in strange events surrounding mysterious phenomena and rogue Mega-Evolved Pokémon appearing in the city. These Pokémon pose a serious threat to its residents. The main character, fully customizable by the player, joins Team MZ, a group aiming to reach the top rank in the Z-A Royale tournament. Alongside competing, the protagonist works to uncover the cause behind the appearance of these dangerous Mega-Evolved Pokémon and the mystery surrounding them.
The game features a compelling gameplay loop where you explore the city during the day, capturing Pokémon to fill out your Pokédex, and then battle other players at night to climb the ranks. As your rank increases, new representatives from the city’s various factions begin to appear. Each faction introduces distinct and colorful personalities that help add life to the story, making up for the somewhat plain and predictable dialogue. The core narrative blends naturally with the side objectives, creating a sense of cohesion that ties everything together. It is a more mature and thoughtful take on the traditional Pokémon formula, moving beyond the simpler stories of earlier titles.
The main story centers around the player’s rise to the top ranks alongside Team MZ, but there is no shortage of side stories scattered throughout the city. NPCs often offer these smaller quests, providing a nice change of pace after long sessions of competitive battles. Longtime fans of the series will appreciate the numerous callbacks to earlier games hidden within these moments—they feel like small rewards for those who have followed Pokémon over the years. However, while the writing holds up well enough, the absence of voice acting makes the storytelling feel somewhat empty, and the characters occasionally lack the energy and charm that modern games often deliver.
The highlight of the game, for me personally, is its real-time combat system. It feels like the most authentic representation yet of how Pokémon battles would work if they existed in the real world. You carry your Pokémon in Poké Balls and can summon or switch them instantly using quick button shortcuts. Combat revolves around cooldown-based moves, each mapped to one of the four main controller buttons. It functions somewhat like Xenoblade, where a cooldown timer activates after using a move. Positioning also matters—certain attacks are more effective depending on your distance from the enemy. As always, the core strategy is about exploiting type weaknesses, and using moves that are super effective generally leads to success.
You can have a party of up to six Pokémon, and one of the best features is that all party members gain experience points. This removes the need for constant rotation or grinding, making progression feel smooth. Evolution happens naturally, and it is easy to track each Pokémon’s growth and potential. The battle system also emphasizes status effects and stat boosts, encouraging you to study your opponents’ weaknesses and take advantage of them. Mega Evolutions make a return, requiring specific Mega Stones tied to each Pokémon. These transformations temporarily boost stats and unlock stronger attacks. I appreciated the new Mega Evolution designs, though some older ones have been reused.
Stealth is also included, but it never feels like an essential mechanic. It mostly involves crouching and sneaking up on trainers or wild Pokémon in tall grass to get the first move. The boss battles, however, are a real standout. Fights against Mega-Evolved Pokémon offer a genuine challenge and test both your team’s coordination and your reflexes. These encounters can even threaten the trainer directly, adding intensity to the action. The game also features a responsive dodge and dash system, allowing you to avoid damage while locking onto enemies and issuing real-time commands to your Pokémon.
While Pokémon Legends: Z-A takes several steps forward, the concept of wild zones feels like a step back. These areas are too easy to navigate, and it is possible to capture nearly every Pokémon quickly by rushing through them. This simplicity removes much of the excitement that used to come from wandering through the wilderness and discovering Pokémon naturally. That said, exploration itself still has its charm. TMs can be used to teach Pokémon new moves that clear obstacles and open up new paths, and these are typically unlocked by capturing more Pokémon and filling out your Pokédex.
The main story offers a solid 30 to 40 hours of gameplay, and the amount of side content is impressive, adding to the game’s overall replay value. Although it is relatively easy to complete the Pokédex by catching all available Pokémon in the wild zones, the process still feels rewarding. However, the fact that certain Pokémon remain locked behind trading is a disappointing limitation. Character customization is another enjoyable feature, though it is largely cosmetic and does not impact gameplay.
From a technical standpoint, this is one of the best-performing Pokémon games so far, thanks in part to its cross-generation development. I played it on the Nintendo Switch 2, so I cannot comment on how it runs on the original Switch, but my experience was excellent. The game maintained a steady 60 FPS, with sharp resolution, vibrant colors, and strong visual clarity. I rarely noticed graphical flaws such as aliasing, as the image quality was clean and polished. Texture quality is somewhat lower, likely due to its compatibility with the older hardware, but it never becomes distracting. Load times are fast, and the game makes great use of its quick travel system to keep the pace smooth and uninterrupted.
Pokémon Legends: Z-A Complete Game Information
- Price: $69.99
- Publisher: Nintendo
- Developer: Game Freak
- Platform: Switch 2 (Reviewed)
- Disclaimer: A review code was given by the publisher
