Pokémon Legends Z-A Review – A Parisian-Themed Pokémon Adventure

New Pokémon game releases are always a hit or miss with dedicated fans. As someone who started playing Pokémon at the age of 5, I am always eagerly awaiting the next game release. I love seeing the new Pokémon being added, the fun new areas to explore, and new missions. Of course, with how often new games are being released, you can’t help but be skeptical about whether the new games will be as fun or well-made as the previous ones.

With the release of the Switch 2, I can’t help but feel like we are entering a new era of Pokémon games, which will be full of great graphics and exciting new adventures. If I could summarise the new Pokémon Legends Z-A game in a sentence, that would probably be it.

The quality of the gameplay on the new Switch is far superior to any other game I played on the Switch OLED. So, let’s dive deeper into the specifics of the game and why I truly think it will be one of the games you will enjoy the most this year!

TL: DR

Pokémon Legends Z-A is a great new addition to the Switch 2, complete with a new, exciting city to explore and many fun new quests. The graphics and new battle style are going to offer Pokémon fans of all ages a great experience with this new Paris-themed adventure!

The Story of Lumiose City

The very first thing I thought of when I started exploring Lumiose City was its striking resemblance to Paris. The wide streets, tall and beautiful buildings, and even the Prism Tower, which looked like an upside-down version of the Eiffel Tower (as per my husband’s commentary).

As you start your way to Lumiose City, you make a new and unexpected acquaintance called Urbain. He asks you for your help filming a video for his Hotel, and while you do so, a wild Pokémon steals your luggage. This helps kickstart the story and brings you closer to Urbain, making you instant friends.

But lately, more and more weird things have started to happen in Lumiose City, like the mysterious Mega Shards, which appear all over the city, and the Mega Rogue Pokémon that seem to be out of control.

I found Pokémon Legends Z-A to have a great range of events happening in a great and logical order, helping you explore the city on your own when you wish, and also giving you nice guidance as to what to do next. Every day brought on a bunch of new adventures, and I found that very exciting.

One more thing I wanted to touch on in this review is the abundance of items around the city. I was very pleasantly surprised at how easily I could collect berries, poke balls, and other items, which helped me make good money early on in Pokémon Legends Z-A.

Choosing Your Own Fun Outfit 

As someone who loves fashion, I started Pokémon Legends Z-A expecting the same old limited character creation that a lot of games offer. Pokémon games do not usually put that much thought into the players’ individual style, despite there being options to further customize your character as you go. And this honestly makes sense, seeing as it is not the main goal of these games.

Inspired by the beautiful fashion in Paris, Lumiose City is actually FULL of little alleyways and fun clothing and accessory stores you can visit. Some are more expensive and intricate, while others are more budget-friendly, and you can really find outfits that can help you express your unique style within Pokémon Legends Z-A.

Catching Pokémon in the Wild Areas

The whole purpose of Lumiose City is to rebuild it in a way that allows people to coexist with wild Pokémon more organically. The wild areas were created as a place where Pokémon could stay within the city walls, all while not being in the way of people. 

When you first start Pokémon Legends Z-A, the number of wild areas is pretty limited and small, but as you continue playing, you will come to find that you can unlock more and more areas. This also, of course, allows you to catch more and more wild Pokémon, so you can complete your Pokédex.

Personally, I found the idea of the wild zones pretty fun, even though they were a bit on the smaller side. I enjoyed that you could see how many Pokémon you could catch in each zone, so I knew when I completed each one. It also made the whole wild area system feel like mini challenges to me. Also, I always knew which one I had to revisit to catch specific Pokémon for side quests.

One more thing that is noteworthy about the wild areas is the Alpha Pokémon residing within them. These were essentially super-powerful Pokémon you could come across, which were hard to capture, but could make a positive impact on your team’s structure.

A New Type of Battle

The way battles happen in Pokémon Legends Z-A is much more dynamic than in previous games. You are able to dodge attacks, and each move your Pokémon uses has a specific loading time, so you can easily overpower your opponents if you time your moves right. 

Catching Pokémon is also much more fun, as you can first of all drain their power and then choose if you want to throw a Poké Ball with a click of a button. Overall, I found this battling and Pokémon catching style very fun and much more involved than previous games.

Fighting Zones That Activate at Night

One of the first things you come across when starting to play Pokémon Legends Z-A is the fighting zones that activate every night, allowing you to fight other Pokémon trainers in the game. This is just one part of the new Battle Ranks system that takes place in Pokémon Legends Z-A. 

Essentially, Pokémon trainers in Lumiose City are ranked by their Battle Rank, which ranges from Z-A, hence the Pokémon Legends Z-A name. Every night, you have to go to the specific Fighting zone that opens up at different parts of the city so you can fight other Pokémon trainers, and win Medals and Prize Money. 

Through these Medals, you are able to gather Battle Passes so you can fight your way up the ranks. I personally found this a great way to explore Pokémon Legends Z-A, collect valuable supplies, and easily level up my Pokémon. (Despite the fact that you play as a kid who practically never sleeps as they go around Lumiose City all day and fight other trainers all night!)

An Introduction to Mega Evolution

One more thing that is great about Pokémon Legends Z-A is the Mega Evolution that can happen for Pokémon during battles. There are multiple Pokémon in Lumiose City that are going rogue for unknown reasons, and you must help them by battling them when they Mega Evolve, as this hurts them. You will find both Pokémon that hold the older Mega Evolutions and also some newer additions.

These are essentially pretty challenging boss fights when coming across wild Pokémon, and you have to be careful when it comes to battling them, as they can easily overpower both you and your Pokémon. After the first couple of battles, you will also gain the ability to Mega Evolve your own Pokémon and battle other Pokémon trainers who can do the same. 

You can obtain Mega Evolution stones from other trainers, purchase them from stores in Lumiose City, and finally, defeat the wild Mega Rogue Pokémon. 

Fun Side Quests for Everyone’s Tastes

Finally, one more thing I enjoyed while running around Lumiose City in Pokémon Legends Z-A was the multiple side quests you have to complete. These vary so much and can be anything from more challenging to fun and light-hearted. For example, there are a few side-quests where you have to catch certain Pokémon to make a perfume for a store, or you have to accompany a sad Pokémon to get their favorite treat (And of course, it’s macarons!)

Every time I thought I cleared the map of side-quests, though, more and more kept popping up. And while they were a great way to get money and resources, I did find them to be a little too much. (It honestly made me think of The Witcher III and the endless Skellige quests).

Conclusion – A Fun New Adventure for Pokémon Fans

Overall, I really enjoyed the new Pokémon Legends Z-A from the very beginning. A fun new story with a great city to explore, a lot of fun quests, and a storyline that was easy to follow and allowed you to play the game at your own pace. 

I was very pleasantly surprised to have encountered no bugs whatsoever, and really enjoyed the city setting of Lumiose City. I saw some people online complain about the map not being big enough or the story being plain, but honestly, I had so much fun playing Pokémon Legends Z-A and would definitely recommend it to people who enjoy curling up on the couch with a good Pokémon game in their hands. 

A big thank you to CD Media for providing us with a key for the game review!