With the new release of Pokémon Legends: Z-A, fans have unleashed their opinions and thoughts about the game. While some have declared the game to be a visual mess, others argue that it's an enjoyable and entertaining game.
To begin, Pokémon Legends: Z-A is a sequel to Pokémon X and Y. It takes place five years after X and Y in the capital city of the Kalos region, Lumiose City, suiting the enjoyment of older fans.
The start of the game introduces you–the main character–to Lumiose City, where you meet your future rival and pick a starter: Chikorita, Tepig, or Totodile. Personally, the starter choices are not my favorite, nor do I enjoy their designs much. I would have definitely preferred another generation’s options.
One immense change that separates this game from others is the battle system. Pokémon Legends: Z-A became the first mainline Pokémon RPG game where you–the trainer–and your Pokémon can both move freely in real time, allowing you to dodge, strategize, and not have a turn-based battle!
Another element I found especially well done in this game is the nostalgic area surrounding the game and the original experience you get. With the return of the X and Y setting, the game also brings back Mega Evolutions and adds a new concept of Rogue Mega Evolutions–a feature that adds newfound joy whilst keeping the old sentimental ideas fans love.
While I did enjoy playing the game, there are still issues and areas where it falls short. Most Pokémon games are adventurous and have huge maps to explore, whereas the space is more limited in Legends: Z-A, as the whole map is only Lumiose City.
To me, I felt the game did a poor job on the quality, graphics, and performance. For such a small map, the graphics for it are deficient for a multi-million dollar company. There have also been many bugs and glitches in the map, making it even more disappointing while playing. There is also no voice acting in areas that deserve to be spoken, which makes the game lack excitement.
Though it is not the worst Pokémon game to exist, I believe Pokémon: Legends Z-A is for the experienced and older players and isn’t quite worth the $80 for the Switch 2 version. If you still want to play the game and experience this sequel, then I would recommend purchasing the $60 version, made for the Switch 1. With that version, you are able to play on both Switch 1 and 2.
