Pokémon Legends Z-A’s potential map complexity is causing anxiety 

During the Pokémon Presents held earlier this week, Nintendo announced a new entry to the Pokémon video game series – Pokémon Legends: Z-A. The game is planned to release in 2025 on Nintendo Switch systems. According to the announcement, the game is set in Lumiose City. This setting is giving Japanese Pokémon fans a sense of dread, and the reason has something to do with their not-so-fond memories of playing Pokémon X and Y. 

The trailer for the upcoming Pokémon Legends: Z-A does not reveal much in terms of story or gameplay, however it does feature a large blueprint of Lumiose City – an existing location in the franchise and the largest city in the Pokémon world. Pokémon Legends: Z-A is described as being set “entirely within” Lumiose City, and this wording has caused concerns among some that the game’s map may be underwhelming in terms of scale, “robbing” players of the opportunity to explore various biomes. 

But ironically, the Lumiose City map featured in Pokémon X and Y (that released in 2013) was criticized (and simultaneously loved) for being too expansive and hard to navigate. The Legends: Z-A announcement has caused many Japanese Pokémon lovers to recall memories of going around in circles and having no idea where they were most of the time while playing Pokémon X and Y. One user even shared a graph of what they call the “Lumiose City vicious circle,” that consists of getting lost, giving up and gradually spending more money on taxis. 

The Pokémon Legends: Z-A will surely bring a much more impressive Lumiose City than its 2013 predecessors, and many are looking forward to a fresh, cyberpunk experience in a massive city, but it remains to be seen whether its layout will continue to cause confusion. 

Pokémon Legends: Z-A is planned to release in 2025 for Nintendo Switch systems.