The Big Picture
For nearly thirty years, Pokémon has walked a tightrope between tradition and innovation. Pokémon Legends: Arceus in 2022 was the biggest leap forward the series had ever taken, giving us open zones, seamless catching, and a fresh sense of discovery. Now, Pokémon Legends: Z-A goes even further — refining, rebuilding, and reimagining everything inside the gleaming heart of Lumiose City.
This isn’t another nostalgic rehash or side experiment. It’s the next evolutionary step in Pokémon’s gameplay DNA — a confident fusion of real-time action, deep strategy, and genuine world-building. But like any evolution, it comes with a few awkward traits that remind us just how ambitious Game Freak’s vision really is.
A City That Feels Alive
Welcome back to Lumiose City — but not as you remember it. Gone are the static streets and lifeless shops of Pokémon X and Y. This Lumiose is under reconstruction after the fallout of those events, and its rebirth is the beating heart of Z-A’s story. Every district, from the glittering Prism Tower Plaza to the underground Metroline Tunnels, tells a piece of that story.
What’s remarkable is how Z-A blends urban realism with Pokémon fantasy. You’ll see Machoke hauling beams at construction sites, Magnemite hovering over power lines, and Fletchling fluttering between rooftops. The city isn’t just a backdrop — it’s a living organism, constantly reacting to your progress. NPCs comment on your achievements, the skyline changes over time, and new areas unlock as the city rebuilds.
That constant sense of evolution gives Z-A an emotional weight most Pokémon games lack. You’re not just catching creatures — you’re helping rebuild a home.
Story and Themes
The narrative here is surprisingly grounded. You play as a young trainer recruited into Lumiose’s Reformation Project, a civic initiative meant to restore balance between people and Pokémon after the rise of uncontrolled Mega Energy. Without diving into spoilers, the story takes you through a web of political tension, urban mystery, and ecological responsibility — a rare mix for Pokémon.
Villains aren’t cartoonish world destroyers this time. They’re idealists, corporate leaders, and scientists with opposing visions for Lumiose’s future. It’s a smarter, more mature story, told through nuanced dialogue and well-framed cutscenes. If only it had voice acting to match its cinematic ambition — silent characters in these dramatic moments can make emotional beats fall flat.
Still, for longtime fans, Z-A’s story might be one of the most engaging in the franchise’s history — especially with its deep ties to Kalos lore and Mega Evolution’s origins.
A Battle Revolution
Where Z-A truly earns its stripes is combat. Building on Legends: Arceus, battles now flow seamlessly between real-time exploration and tactical turn-based strategy. You can freely move your trainer around, dodge attacks, and command Pokémon with instant response. When you trigger a move, the action shifts into a cinematic slowdown, giving you a brief tactical window to plan your next strike or counter.
This fusion of action and strategy feels incredible. It’s fast, tense, and finally gives you a sense of being in the battle, not just watching it unfold. Mega Evolutions amplify that intensity even more. Instead of being once-per-battle gimmicks, they function like timed transformations — powerful, but risky. If you overextend, you’ll leave your Pokémon exhausted and vulnerable once the Mega timer runs out.
Boss encounters — especially against rogue Mega Pokémon — are standout moments. These multi-phase fights test your reflexes, your resource management, and your knowledge of typing. It’s Pokémon with real stakes again, and it feels fantastic.
Catching and Exploration
Catching Pokémon in Z-A keeps the streamlined freedom of Legends: Arceus. You can still crouch, aim, and throw Poké Balls directly without entering battle. But Lumiose’s dense city layout changes the dynamic: you’ll be sneaking through alleys, scaling rooftops, and exploring maintenance tunnels instead of fields or forests.
Game Freak cleverly ties encounters to the environment — Electric-types swarm near substations, Poison-types linger in drainage zones, and Flying-types nest atop skyscrapers. It’s less about wide-open exploration and more about vertical discovery. Hidden nooks, secret rooftops, and side quests add depth, though some players might miss the natural wonder of open biomes.
Side missions, called Reformation Requests, also tie neatly into the world. Helping locals might unlock shortcuts, upgrade facilities, or even trigger new Mega evolution research lines. It’s a great way to make side content feel relevant instead of filler.
Presentation and Performance
Let’s talk visuals — because this is where Z-A both impresses and frustrates. On Switch 2, performance is finally stable. Frame rates stay near 60 FPS most of the time, even in dense crowds or during Mega battles. Lighting, reflections, and particle effects make Lumiose look alive at night, and Pokémon animations are smoother than ever.
However, it’s not all perfect. On the base Switch, the game struggles — textures blur, draw distance shrinks, and frame drops occur in crowded districts. Even at its best, Z-A doesn’t reach the graphical fidelity of other modern action RPGs. The art direction does a lot of heavy lifting, but fans hoping for a full visual overhaul may feel underwhelmed.
That said, moments like standing atop Prism Tower at sunset — watching Lumiose bathed in golden light with Mega energy shimmering across the skyline — are genuinely stunning. Z-A may not be cutting-edge, but it’s often beautiful in spirit.
Sound and Atmosphere
The soundtrack deserves special mention. Toby Fox and Game Freak’s composers have delivered some of the series’ most sophisticated music yet — jazzy city themes, melancholic piano tracks, and heart-pounding boss scores that blend orchestral and electronic energy. The Mega Evolution battle theme in particular is an instant classic.
It’s all great… but again, the lack of voice acting stands out. In 2025, it’s hard to justify fully cinematic cutscenes with silent characters. It robs dramatic scenes of the emotion they deserve. Hopefully, it’s the last Pokémon title to skip voice work entirely.
The Little Things
- Customization is deeper than ever, with outfits tied to Lumiose’s fashion scene — think streetwear, formalwear, and retro Kalos looks.
- Pokémon behavior has evolved too. Wild Pokémon react to weather, time of day, and your presence. Some even ambush you or interact with the environment.
- Online battles feature full Mega compatibility, and the Z-A Royale mode — a 4-trainer urban free-for-all — is chaotic fun.
There’s an impressive amount of content here, and while a few side missions feel like padding, the core loop of catching, battling, and rebuilding Lumiose remains endlessly satisfying.
Verdict
Pokémon Legends: Z-A is a bold, confident step forward — the kind of reinvention Pokémon fans have wanted for years. It modernizes combat, deepens storytelling, and delivers one of the most immersive worlds in franchise history. It still stumbles on the usual issues — lack of voice acting, uneven visuals, slow tutorials — but its ambition outweighs its flaws.
This is Game Freak experimenting with purpose, not panic. It’s proof that Pokémon can evolve without losing its soul.
Pokémon Legends: Z-A Review: Pokémon Legends: Z-A isn’t just another spin-off — it’s a new blueprint. A vibrant, daring reimagining of what Pokémon can be. Rough edges aside, it’s a battle worth fighting and a city worth saving – Rana