Review - Pokémon Legends: Z-A: A Blend of Innovation and Regression

The game is the latest entry in Game Freak’s beloved franchise, returning to the well-known Kalos region from Pokémon X and Y with a fresh approach. The adventure unfolds in Lumiose City, the region’s technological and cultural hub, now “redesigned” around themes of sustainability and harmony between humans and Pokémon.

Combining an open-world layout with the exploratory style introduced in Pokémon Legends: Arceus, Z-A offers a mix of nostalgia and innovation.

Players take on the role of a trainer involved in a city revitalization and protection project focused on stopping rogue Mega Evolutions while exploring the city’s districts, wild zones, and the ancient mysteries still surrounding Kalos.

The game was developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo and The Pokémon Company. It is available exclusively for the Nintendo Switch 1 and 2.

According to Nintendo, Pokémon Legends: Z-A sold over 12 million copies in its first three weeks, making it one of the most successful releases of 2025.

The version of Kalos presented in Z-A takes place in a different time period, with Lumiose City as the main setting. The city has been redesigned with a more vertical and interconnected structure that fits the game’s central theme, even allowing for rooftop exploration.

Pokémon Center and Shop Combined

Merging the Pokémon Center and PokéMart into a single location significantly changes gameplay flow. All essential functions, such as healing Pokémon, buying, and selling items, are now centralized, removing the need to travel long distances across the city. This makes the experience much more convenient for players switching between battles and exploration.

It also reflects the modern, connected design of Lumiose City. It’s a small detail, but it helps create a smoother and more immersive experience.

Dynamic Battles

Battles in Z-A deliver an exciting experience thanks to their fluidity and near real-time transitions between exploration and combat. This new system allows dodging, strategic positioning, and special ability use, making battles more engaging and action-oriented.

The mechanics are flexible enough to appeal to all types of players. They are practical, easy to grasp, and satisfying to master. Watching your Pokémon charge attacks, manage timing, and react to enemy movements adds a new layer of tactical depth when building your team.

Relaxing and Polished Soundtrack

Z-A’s soundtrack masterfully blends orchestral music with electronic and urban influences, capturing the energy and personality of Lumiose City. The music shifts depending on context, from bustling streets to quieter, introspective moments, enhancing immersion and atmosphere.

Ambient sounds such as café chatter and cash registers add realism, making the city feel alive and inviting.

Well-Paced Progression

The game’s pacing is well balanced, introducing elements like Mega Evolutions and new battle systems gradually, giving players time to adapt. This rhythm keeps the experience engaging without feeling overwhelming, even if the start of the game is a bit slow.

The Rank system, ranging from Z to A, offers clear goals and appealing rewards that motivate both story progression and completionism. Side quests add even more content for players who enjoy full exploration.

Balanced Battles

Battle design offers just the right amount of challenge. Opponents, strategies, and features such as Mega Evolutions keep fights exciting without becoming frustrating. This balance encourages players to think tactically and experiment with different team compositions.

While there are difficult moments, defeats usually happen due to lack of preparation or poor timing rather than unfair mechanics.

Easier Shiny Hunting

The increased odds of finding shiny Pokémon make exploration more rewarding and memorable. Even casual players can experience the thrill of discovering a shiny naturally in the wild, which adds a delightful sense of surprise to the adventure.

Engaging Character Stories

The narrative in Pokémon Legends: Z-A stands out for adding depth to its characters. The story isn’t limited to simple rivalries or victories; each character faces personal conflicts and motivations connected to city life and the Z Project, making the plot more emotionally resonant.

The writing strikes a balance between lighthearted and mature tones, appealing to both longtime fans and newcomers. These layers of storytelling make the experience richer, especially in the latter half of the game.

Overly Long Tutorial

For experienced Pokémon players, Z-A’s tutorial can feel excessively long. It covers many basic mechanics that veterans already know, and since it’s mandatory, it delays the real start of the adventure. Many players have expressed frustration over this.

The fragmented and repetitive way that new mechanics are introduced can also reduce excitement for exploration. A “skip” or “fast mode” option would have been a welcome addition.

Simplistic Graphics and Textures

While Z-A has a strong artistic direction, its technical graphics fall short of 2025 standards. Simplified textures, under-detailed environments, and less polished models are commonly mentioned drawbacks.

Even on Switch 2, players have noted that the visuals could be more refined, with smoother animations, richer textures, and a livelier atmosphere. The art direction stands out, but the technical side feels underdeveloped, as if more attention went to Pokémon design than the surrounding world.

Limited to a Single City

Restricting Z-A to Lumiose City has both strengths and weaknesses. The city’s density and level of detail are impressive, but the lack of varied biomes and additional regions may disappoint players expecting a broader world.

This limitation reduces the sense of large-scale exploration that defines mainline Pokémon games. After several hours, it’s easy to wish for more towns or routes to explore.

Small Wild Areas

The wild zones in Z-A are smaller and more structured, which lessens the open-world freedom found in Pokémon Legends: Arceus. For players who love exploring vast landscapes, this can feel restrictive. Many fans feel that this change weakens the thrill of searching for Pokémon across wide environments.

However, each zone is densely packed with NPCs, events, and activities, which some players may appreciate. Still, those who prefer wide exploration may find this approach too limiting.

No Voice Acting

The absence of full voice acting is one of the game’s biggest criticisms. For a title that focuses heavily on storytelling and expressive characters, silent dialogue hurts immersion, especially in emotional moments.

Voice acting would have enhanced accessibility and overall presentation. Compared to other modern titles, Z-A feels outdated in this regard. Even partial or optional voice acting would have been a welcome improvement.

Day-Night Transitions Interrupt Gameplay Flow

The day-night cycle adds environmental depth but can be frustrating in execution. Many players reported that the transitions happen abruptly, interrupting exploration or battles. Although the time shifts create dynamic events and Pokémon variations, the transition could be smoother and less intrusive.

In some cases, the sudden lighting change feels like an unnecessary pause, breaking immersion and even interrupting important wild Pokémon encounters.

RATING: 8.5 / 10

Pokémon Legends: Z-A improves upon Arceus’s mechanics and presents the Pokémon world in a more realistic, real-time battle format. Despite limitations such as its confined setting and modest graphics, the game shines through its storytelling and combat design.

It might not revolutionize the series, but it represents a mature step forward, emphasizing realism and strategy.

Exploring Lumiose feels immersive, and the game is packed with nostalgia. Seeing my giant Gardevoir walking beside me and taking café photos together was an amazing experience. If that sounds appealing, this is a title you should definitely check out.