Coming this 2025, the new game serves as another step towards a true Pokemon gaming experience
It’s no secret that the Pokémon games haven’t lived up to their animation counterparts. It wouldn’t be fair to compare the pixel games in the 2000s with the animated series. After all, game developers had to operate within the confines of technological and hardware limitations.
But even in the following decade with the introduction of 3D animation in the series and up to its Nintendo Switch titles, the games felt limiting and stagnant compared to the endless possibilities seen on TV.
READ: Nintendo to release Switch 2 console in 2025
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As we followed Ash Ketchum in his journeys, we witnessed some of the most dynamic and impactful battles ever written and choreographed. However, when we boot up our devices, we are left with a turn-based formula that hasn’t evolved in almost 30 years.
2022’s “Legends: Arceus” was the disruption to Game Freak’s tried and tested gameplay loop. It offered players the opportunity to battle in the overworld and allowed them to move as their Pokémon battled. Unfortunately, it was still turn-based.
Now, with the 2025 release of the Switch 2, “Pokémon Legends: Z-A” stands as an accompaniment to Nintendo’s hardware evolution—with a refreshing entry that serves as another step toward a true pocket monsters gaming experience.
“Pokémon Legends: Z-A” is set in Lumiose City—in the Kalos region where it was last seen in Pokémon X and Y. However, unlike the 2013 version that allowed players to explore the entire region, “Z-A” will only be limited to the confines of the mega city.
Fortunately, players won’t have to feel restricted since the game is set in a period where “an urban redevelopment plan is underway to shape the city into a place that belongs to both people and Pokémon,” according to their website. Additionally, a released preview on their YouTube channel showcases players going on city rooftops—teasing the possibility of underground areas and unparalleled verticality unseen in previous entries.
How and where will you catch Pokémon, you may ask? Lumiose City will have several “wild zones” where you can catch and battle them.
On the topic of battles, the game features the franchise’s biggest change to date: “In previous titles in the video game series, Pokémon took action once per turn. In Pokémon Legends: Z‑A, Trainers and their Pokémon will move around in real time during battles, and Pokémon will unleash their moves when their Trainers command them to,” describes the Pokémon website.
In “Pokémon Legends: Z-A,” players will also get the chance to choose between three starting partners: Chikorita, Tepig, and Totodile. Mega Evolution will also be a returning mechanic.
