Nintendo Direct held a surprise presentation, the last of the Nintendo Switch era, on March 27th. Many games got trailers and updates, but one of the biggest was a more detailed look at Pokemon Legends Z-A. After leaks had been coming out regarding the game’s returning mega-evolutions mechanic, fans were itching to learn more from Game Freak. Well, Nintendo delivered, this time with a three-minute trailer that gave us more insight into the gameplay. What exactly was covered at that time?
What Did We Learn About Pokemon Legends Z-A?
Nothing necessarily new was introduced during the trailer, but we did get a more detailed look at the setting and the gameplay for Pokemon Legends Z-A. The game, as we know, will take place in Lumiose City, and seemingly only Lumiose City, with the city attempting a project that allows both humans and Pokemon to live freely together within the city. We already knew about the wild zones that would be scattered throughout the city, but we got a better look at them. It seems like, essentially, they are like city parks filled with Pokemon.
We also got introduced to the city as a whole. In Pokemon Legends Z-A, Pokemon will be able to be caught outside of the wild zones as well. You will be able to travel through the streets, in buildings, and on top of roofs. Just like in Pokemon Legends Arceus, Pokemon may attack or run away, so you need to be sneaky to catch them. We also know that Pokemon will be able to dodge, move, and switch in and out live-action style, so timing will be especially important in this game.
Another preview we saw in the trailer was the new Pokemon Legends Z-A mechanic, Battle Zones, and the Z-A Royale. These tournaments happen at night, in specific zones around the city. Trainers will be ranked by their skill level, attempting to work their way up to A rank. The newest element to these zones, however, is the sneak element. Just like with Pokemon, you can sneak up on trainers to get an advantage or be snuck up on. Watch your back!
The addition of the day and night mechanics adds an element to the game that has not been present previously. We have had day and night before, but typically, the gameplay itself is similar, and the changes are with the available Pokemon. But in Pokemon Legends Z-A, shifting from day to night changes the entire essence of the city from calm and friendly to competition-focused fights. It will be interesting to see how it plays out within the storyline requirements.
How Are Fans Reacting To Pokemon Z-A?
For the most part, it seems fans are excited about the changes. For a franchise with a collection of games as large as the Pokemon series, Game Freak doesn’t often make major changes to its game mechanics, especially in a mainline game. Pokemon Legends Arceus did this first, with a fully open world and added timing-based fight mechanics. It seems Pokemon Legends Z-A follows its predecessor with the day/night mechanic and deeper dodge and sneak mechanics. This gives trainers something new to explore.
However, fans have some questions. It is not clear exactly how battle zone mechanics work. Will you only battle trainers at night? What will happen to the storyline during the day? Is it focused purely on catching Pokemon, or will there be dual storylines like we saw in Pokemon Violet/Scarlet? We know winning battles moves you up in the ranks, but are there additional mechanics beyond that? And will the game feel too small, with the setting being only Lumiose City?
Fans also have concerns about the little storyline we have seen so far. It appears the main “villain” will be Jett, who runs Quasartico Inc. in Lumiose City. The problem is, fans see some shocking similarities between Jett, and Rose from Pokemon Sword/Shield. Will Pokemon Legends Z-A recycle an old storyline and simply adapt it to the Kalos region? This would not be the first time the series copied and pasted a story beat across games and generations.
Overall, there is palpable excitement around the game. Pokemon trainers across the world are gearing up for a new adventure, and the trailer for Pokemon Legends Z-A provides an eager fanbase enough anticipation to stay happily engaged. Fans will have to wait to see what else the game will bring.
