If you thought Pokémon was just about turn-based battles and cute monsters, Pokémon Legends: ZA might surprise you.
Set in the bustling Lumiose City, five years after the events of Pokémon X and Y, this latest instalment brings a fresh energy to the franchise, blending exploration, strategy, and real-time combat in ways longtime fans, and newcomers, can enjoy.
Lumiose City feels alive, thanks to its roaming Pokémon, dynamic day-night cycle, and countless little touches that make it more than just a map.
Birds perch on fountains, fish leap from water, and even ghosts appear in cemeteries, giving the city a sense of personality.
While the urban environment lacks the visual variety of previous Pokémon regions, the game’s attention to detail ensures there’s always something to discover.
Gameplay in ZA is where the magic happens. Days are for exploring, completing side quests, and catching Pokémon in their natural habitats.
Nights shift the focus to the ZA Games, a competitive series of battles where trainers climb the leaderboard by completing challenges, defeating opponents, and experimenting with clever strategies.
The real-time combat system is a bold departure from classic turn-based mechanics, yet it retains the depth Pokémon fans expect. Lock onto an opponent, plan your moves, and watch your Pokémon execute attacks with precision and flair.
Mega Evolutions return with spectacular impact, adding extra layers of strategy and excitement.
Visually, the game embraces a charming, almost Pixar-like style.
Technical shortcomings exist – buildings can feel repetitive, and distant landscapes aren’t the most detailed – but Pokémon animations are polished, the action runs smoothly at 60fps on Nintendo Switch 2, and cutscenes are genuinely impressive.
Coupled with expressive characters and a surprisingly mature story, the narrative feels more engaging than ever.
At around 30 hours for the main story and over 100 side quests, Pokémon Legends: ZA offers plenty of content, with an addictive post-game and fun online multiplayer battles rounding out the experience.
It isn’t perfect, and some may miss the open-world variety of previous games, but this is a Pokémon title that truly feels like a step forward.
