Pokémon Legends: Arceus released in 2022, and while it was definitely a big step forward for the series, to me, it didn’t feel like it made a “radical change” or brought something entirely new to the table. To put it simply – it was an action-game-like take on the same core system and gameplay loop of the classic Pokémon series, and it felt like it was being particularly mindful of an existing, casual playerbase that hasn’t ventured much into other genres.
Fast forward to 2025: The second installment of the Legends sub-series, Pokémon Legends: Z-A, is just around the corner. And compared to its predecessors – the game is quite difficult. However, the “difficulty” isn’t holding the game back. Rather, it helps break the repetitiveness of the Pokémon series’ predominately turn-based gameplay, and most importantly, introduces a new kind of entertainment value. The ramped-up difficulty is the outcome of Legends: Z-A making some bolder changes to the overall gameplay experience.
Most noticeable is the clear shift to real-time-oriented gameplay, which minimizes the time the player spends consciously thinking about commands and looking at the game’s interface. Instead, you get more time to look at the Pokémon themselves and get immersed in the world. The most obvious example of this is how the combat itself is structured. In Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the battles are seamless, meaning there is almost no traditional distinction between “battle” and “exploration” segments like in previous entries.
As a significant shift from the battle system of Pokémon Legends: Arceus, Z-A ditches static turn-based combat in favor of a system that resembles fighting games. Rather than looking at a list of moves and taking your time to devise a strategy, combat in Z-A calls for quick reaction time. The speed between selecting and executing a move varies, and so does the range and cooldown time of the moves. You’ll have to manage your own moves and look for a good time to strike while also dodging the opponent’s attacks.
For example, using Slash will require your Pokémon to close the distance before striking, but if you use it in succession with Waterfall, you’ll get enough boost to attack immediately. Furthermore, as your Pokémon always follows you around, even during battle, you can strategically control your trainer to adjust the distance and take the optimal position for your next attack. So, to fully enjoy the combat, you’ll have to get used to multitasking. Learning how to properly juggle between all these elements is what makes the game so much more challenging compared to Legends: Arceus. But precisely because of this – Pokémon Legends: Z-A feels remarkably more realistic and immersive.
Another feature that makes the gameplay significantly more difficult is the stealth mechanic. During exploration, and especially during the Z-A Royale that takes place during the nighttime in alleys of Lumiose City, knowing how to catch your enemy unprepared by sneaking up to them will give you a great upper hand in battle. But if you’re the one who gets caught snooping around, your Pokémon might suffer a critical strike from the opponent. It takes a bit of time to get used to the terrain (and enemy trainers attack you as soon as they see you, so be careful), but once you get past the learning curve, you’ll be able to experience a sense of immersion that’s completely different to the other games in the Pokémon series.
My overall impression playing the demo is that, while the difficulty was ramped-up in quite a few gameplay aspects, the shift from turn-based to action elements helps you focus more on the battles happening in front of you, making it feel like you’re actually a part of the Pokémon universe.
Now, I’ve always somewhat felt that the Pokémon series has been forced into becoming a “low-difficulty game that anyone can play.” Or perhaps, that it was always insistent on its identity as a casual and accessible turn-based game – and that makes sense, as this approach significantly helped the franchise become popular across the globe.
However, now that the franchise has grown so much, there might not be a need for it to stick to that same formula. Furthermore, as of late, there have been more casual gamers dabbling into action RPGs and shooters (especially on mobile) than before, and this may have motivated Pokémon’s developers to create a game that’s a bit more challenging compared to their past ones. I imagine they trusted that even if they put out a more difficult game, fans would still put in the effort to play it.
Providing a completely revamped experience and opening up a bunch of new possibilities for the series, I believe Pokémon Legend: Z-A will prove to be a significant step forward for the franchise. I’d even consider calling it a “reinvention of the Pokémon series,” and I’m excited to see what else it has in store for us.
Pokémon Legend: Z-A is set to release on October 16, 2025 for the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2.
©2022 Pokémon. ©1995-2022 Nintendo/Creatures Inc. /GAME FREAK inc.
Pokémon is the registered property of Nintendo/ Creatures Inc. / GAME FREAK inc.
The Nintendo Switch Logo / Nintendo Switch are a property of Nintendo.
Disclaimer:
The screenshots are from the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition of the game.
The screenshots are not of the final build of the game.
As the game is still in development, there may be differences with the actual product.
