The Pokémon games on the Switch continues to iterate in interesting ways, from real-time Pokémon catching, to competitive MOBA, to fully open worlds. Pokémon Legends: Z-A is another fascinating leap forward, injecting series-first real-time battles and an entirely urban setting.
But, as with most modern Pokémon games, Legends: Z-A is not without its flaws. Here are the 6 things we love — and 5 things we hate, about Pokémon Legends: Z-A!
LOVE Real-time Battles
Let’s start with the big one: real-time battling! The Pokémon series is all about turn-based battles, so this is a pretty darn big upheaval to the entire formula. Turns out, it’s a ton of fun!
Running around swapping Pokémon and firing off moves is exhilarating and rewarding. The combat dynamic is also different, with AOE moves such as Earthquake hitting multiple Pokémon (which often happens in frantic Wild Zones), while normally solid stat-boosting moves such as Sword Dance are now only temporary buffs. Trainers now have to consider cooldowns for moves and healing items, as well as Pokémon sizes and move animations. If there’s a single feature that sells Legends: Z-A, it’s the battles.
HATE Lack of Voice Acting
Pokémon’s annoying lack of voice acting has never been more pronounced than in Legends: Z-A. The story features numerous cutscenes of characters flapping their mouths and engaging in conversation. It’s dreadful. In 2025, it’s beyond ridiculous that such a storied and huge franchise, and one aimed at a younger audience, lacks voice acting of any kind. Even single words and grunts would be a solid step forward!
LOVE Lumiose City
The Pokémon series has always had cities (usually one big city per region), but we’ve never spent an entire game in one. Lumiose City is the Paris-inspired city from Pokémon X and Y, and it’s the perfect size to run around and explore, without feeling the loss of our motorcycle-mon from Scarlet and Violet. There’s plenty of Pokémon Centers and fast-travel points, Wild Zones for catching certain Pokémon, and a hilarious amount of items to pick up. The upper rooftop areas serve as a wilder, more dungeon-crawler experience, with plenty of goodies to find, and rare Alpha Pokémon to discover.
HATE Simplistic Open World
While I appreciate that we can catch and battle Pokémon outside the designated Wild Zones and Battle Zones, Legends: Z-A still feels lacking compared to modern open-world RPGs. The world feels far more dull and lifeless than it should.
For example, in several areas players come across other trainers facing off in a battle. But their Pokémon just stand there and face each other forever, and never actually battle. Most NPCs just stand around next to their Pokémon, with very few moving or animating at all. So many missed opportunities for creating a more immersive Pokémon city.
LOVE Actual Side Quests
You know what Scarlet and Violet didn’t have? Side quests! Side quests are such an obvious part of open-world RPGs, but it’s worth a point of praise for Legends: Z-A.
Side quests are clearly visible on the map, and open up gradually throughout the campaign. Side quests range from simple Pokémon battles to fetch quests, to needing to find certain Pokémon. Many side quests dole out nice rewards, such as rare Pokémon and items, making them well worth completing.
HATE Graphic Design
Stop me if you’ve heard this before, but the Pokémon series are not the best looking 3D games. While I’m enjoying the transition to open-world 3D environments in recent outings, the series has struggled with interesting designs, attractive textures, and decent framerates.
Legends: Z-A on the Switch 2 is a solid improvement in performance, but that doesn’t fix the blocky, repetitive designs of Lumiose’s buildings, the aging textures that look several generations old, and the utter lack of proper shading and dynamic lighting — especially in a game with a day/night cycle! I’m not a bit graphical connoisseur, but this series deserves better.
LOVE Alpha Pokémon
Returning from Legends: Arceus, Alpha Pokémon are extra-large versions with souped-up stats, and an extra bonus move that the species can’t normally learn. Alphas act as dynamic boss fights in Legends: Z-A. They’re always surrounded by other Pokémon of the same species, and often higher level (sometimes significantly) than the player’s Pokémon. Alphas can only be caught after defeating them, and even then it’s far from a guarantee.
Finding, battling, and training Alphas remains an exciting part of the game throughout the campaign, and beyond.
HATE Lack of Co-op Multiplayer
Scarlet and Violet introduced real-time co-op multiplayer, with players exploring the same world together. It was novel and charming for my family, and it’s sad to see that Legends: Z-A doesn’t offer any of that. Instead, Z-A has the usual Pokémon multiplayer battling features, as well as a ranked battle system for battling other trainers online. Serviceable, but unremarkable.
LOVE Mable’s Research
Hunting for Technical Machines was a big part of previous Pokémon Games, but in Legends: Z-A, most of the teachable moves are learned from Mable’s Research.
Mable’s Research is a new progression system that rewards players for doing stuff they’re already doing in any Pokémon game: catching and battling! It almost works like a standard level-up system in an RPG, with players unlocking a new TM at each new level. The best part: Research progress and rewards are accessed entirely through an easily accessible menu, without having to return to the laboratory.
HATE Lack of Villains
There are several interesting villainous angles that could be explored in an urban environment, but there’s really nothing like that in Legends: Z-A. The story focuses too much on ascending the ranks of the Z-A Royale. It’s fun, but mostly lacks any story relevance, until we start dealing with Rogue Mega Evolutions. Not including a central villain group (even a comical group) is a big misstep, makinh the city too idyllic, and the story a bit boring.
LOVE Mega Evolution
Mega Evolution returns from X/Y, and widely regarded as the best of the modern Pokémon gimmick features. After some hours into the campaign, players unlock the Mega Ring, and can Mega Evolve certain Pokémon after obtaining their Mega Stone. Mega Evolutions work like a super-powered mode that temporarily transforms the Pokémon, and powers up their moves. It’s based on an energy bar that must be built up through battling.
Plus, the Rogue Mega Evolutions are legit fun boss fights that require proper dodging, using Plus moves, Mega Evolving, and type-countering. More of those, please!
Pokémon Legends: Z-A is available on Switch and Switch 2, and rated E10+.
