Pokémon Legends: Z-A: Innovation From A to Z

A new trailer for Pokémon Legends: Z-A was dropped during the final Nintendo Switch Direct, featuring even more details on the exciting new entry set to launch in late 2025. We’re just months away from diving into this new adventure, which will also be playable on the anticipated Switch 2 through backward compatibility.

This ambitious title, developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo and The Pokémon Company, promises to expand the Legends sub-series that began with Pokémon Legends: Arceus in 2022.

Pokémon Legends: A Light in the Dark

I’ve been a Pokémon fan since the Game Boy days, but recent titles like Pokémon Sword and Shield left me utterly frustrated with the franchise. The graphical blunders, frame rate drops, and safe formula made it seem like the franchise could never reach its true potential.

This contrasted with their impressive commercial successes. The open-world concept was a welcome change for Scarlet and Violet, but it suffered technical issues and a lack of polish, making it hard to enjoy fully.

Amidst this disappointment from the mainline series, Pokémon Legends: Arceus emerged as a heaven-send in 2022. Its bold departure from the traditional Pokémon formula, with real-time catching mechanics and a battle system that mixed turn-based strategy with dynamic pacing, rekindled my love for the series. Although, at times, it felt more like a tech demo, it proved that innovation could thrive in this universe. That’s why Pokémon Legends: Z-A has had my attention since its initial announcement—it’s building on that foundation, and I can see that pushing game design forward is still a hallmark.

Graphics and Art Style: A Step Up, But Not a Leap

Visually, Pokémon Legends: Z-A looks like a significant improvement over Scarlet and Violet. Trailers reveal a cleaner, more vibrant art style that breathes life into Lumiose City. The textures are sharper, the lighting more dynamic, and the Pokémon have more personality in their animations. Compared to muddy landscapes and weirdly shaded models of Scarlet and Violet, this is a welcome upgrade.

If you’re holding out for Game Freak to deliver a graphical powerhouse on par with Xenoblade Chronicles X or The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, you’ll likely be waiting until the Switch 3—or beyond. The Switch’s hardware limitations are not the real bottleneck, it’s Game Freak‘s crunched schedule to release their games with a new huge RPG coming from them every 1-2 years. Where the Mario and Zelda teams can take 5-7 years to release their masterpiece, Game Freak doesn’t have that luxury.

I’m not too fussed about the graphics. Legends: Z-A’s art style has a charming, almost painterly quality that suits the Pokémon aesthetic. It’s functional and features enough flair to make the experience enjoyable without needing to rival Monolith Soft or Nintendo’s first-party masterpieces. My woes with Scarlet and Violet’s graphics stemmed more from their instability than their ambition, and Legends: Z-A seems to sidestep those pitfalls so far.

Lumiose City: An A-Maze-ing City to Explore

The game’s setting is Lumiose City, the bustling hub of the Kalos region first introduced in Pokémon X and Y in 2013. This time, the city is undergoing an “urban redevelopment plan” led by Quasartico Inc., aiming to create a metropolis where humans and Pokémon coexist harmoniously.

The story hints at a futuristic twist with advanced technology shaping the environment, though it’s unclear how far into the future this takes place relative to X and Y.

Returning characters like AZ, the mysterious giant from the original Kalos games, and his eternal Floette suggest ties to the region’s lore. Meanwhile, the legendary Pokémon Zygarde looms as a key figure—perhaps tied to the ecological balance this redevelopment seeks to achieve.

Picking a Partner – Starters & Game Flow

Your journey begins with a choice of three starters: Chikorita (Grass), Tepig (Fire), or Totodile (Water), an eclectic mix from Generations II and V. Trailers have also showcased Pokémon like Fletchling, Flaaffy, and others roaming the city’s “Wild Zones,” where you’ll catch and battle them.

While I’ll miss the historical depth of Legends: Arceus, which took us back to the untamed wilds of Hisui, Lumiose City’s maze-like streets and rooftops could offer a fresh twist. Arceus gave us sprawling plains and a sense of discovery rooted in the past; Z-A swaps that for a dense, vertical playground. It’s a trade-off I’m willing to embrace for the sake of variety—it might not be the wide-open freedom I loved, but a city-centric adventure could be just as compelling.

What Makes It Special: All-New Battle System and a Dynamic Cycle

The headline of Pokémon Legends: Z-A is the real-time battle system that ditches the turn-based tradition entirely. Moves now have ranges, areas of effect, and timing considerations, with an Active Time Battle (ATB) gauge reminiscent of Xenoblade Chronicles or classic Final Fantasy titles.

Pokémon and trainers can move freely, dodging attacks and landing critical hits via stealthy ambushes. These bring the game closer than ever to the dynamic fights I’ve dreamed of since watching Ash Ketchum command Pikachu in the Pokémon anime. It’s a bold evolution from Arceus’s hybrid system, and I’m thrilled to see Game Freak push the envelope further.

The day-night cycle adds another layer of depth. During the day, you’ll explore Wild Zones, catching Pokémon and preparing your team. At night, Lumiose City transforms into a battleground for the Z-A Royale, a tournament where trainers compete in holographic Battle Zones.

Starting at Rank Z, your goal is to climb to Rank A through victories, potentially earning a wish—a narrative hook that gives the title its name. This cycle blends exploration and combat in a way that feels purposeful. It’s a stark contrast to the static gyms of mainline games, and I can’t wait to see how it plays out.

Switch 2 Potential: What to Expect for the New Console Launch

With the Switch 2 expected later in 2025, speculation about a version of Pokémon Legends: Z-A optimized for the new hardware is abuzz. We know it’ll be playable on Switch 2, potentially with smoother frame rates and minor visual enhancements—think reduced pop-in or less dynamic scale-down of resolutions.

However, we shouldn’t expect a transformative upgrade like Gears 5 on Xbox Series X or The Last of Us Part II on PS5. Game Freak tends to lag behind hardware cycles, often debuting on new handhelds years after launch—Pokémon X and Y didn’t hit the 3DS until 2013, two years after its debut. I suspect the rumored 2026 mainline game will be the true Switch 2 showcase.

Conclusion: A Bright Horizon for Pokémon

Pokémon Legends: Z-A has me hyped. It’s not just another rehash or light refresh of the 29-year-old formula—it’s a bold step forward, building on Arceus’s legacy with a vibrant city and fresh take on Pokémon‘s combat with real-time battles. While it won’t match the graphical heights of Nintendo’s heavy hitters or revisit the historical charm I adored in Hisui, it offers something unique that has me more excited than ever for a new Pokémon game. I hope the mainline series takes note and continues to breathe new life into this franchise. I can’t wait to explore Lumiose City (hopefully on my Switch 2) this Holiday Season.