It’s been three years since the last Pokémon games, Scarlet and Violet. For the average player that might be a refreshing break, but for the hardcore fans that’s practically a lifetime. Does Pokémon Legends: Z-A deliver after all that waiting, or is it more of a stop-gap entry that feels overshadowed by how long overdue it is? According to early reviews it’s just good enough to reward fans’ patience, even if it’s not the mold-shattering standout in the Pokémon series some have been hoping for.
Pokémon Legends: Z-A is currently hovering around 81 on Metacritic with 40 reviews currently published. That’s a few points below 2022’s Pokémon Legends: Arceus but a healthy bump up from the performance-issue-riddled Scarlet and Violet. Most reviewers of the newest entry said it runs well on Switch 2 with no real graphical hitches and a solid 60fps performance throughout the game, though VGC reported that it still feels like the sequel is being held back by being developed on last-gen hardware as well.
In terms of gameplay, Z-A trades Arceus‘ watercolor-esque wilderness for an urban labyrinth of streets, skyscrapers, and small public parks. Some reviewers found it visually boring, even if there are plenty of activities to keep the city of Lumiose feeling lively and entertaining. Nintendo Life was not impressed with the setting, calling the new urban playground “lifeless” and restrictive-feeling. What most early reviews seem to agree on is that Z-A‘s Mega Evolutions, overhauled raids, and real-time hybrid combat subverts the standard flow of a Pokémon game in fun and interesting ways, making the battles a standout for the series.
It’s worth noting that this is still just a small sample of the initial critical feedback for Pokémon Legends: Z-A. Reviewers apparently only received code five days before today’s review embargo, and restrictions prohibit them from talking about certain parts of the game. It also doesn’t seem like anyone’s had an opportunity to test it on Switch 1 yet either, the platform that most fans will be playing it on. Kotaku will have its own coverage starting on the October 16 release date, but in the meantime here’s what else early reviews are saying about the newest Pokémon game.
Man, I was going to try and hold back a bit on this review-in-progress since I still have plenty to see before my final review, but I’m just so genuinely excited about what Game Freak has done here. I liked Arceus a fair amount and thought it showed promise, but have been broadly disappointed with the slow backslide I saw from the studio in its move to console game development, and worried the quality dip was a new trend for 3D Pokémon games that we’d never escape. Pokémon Legends: Z-A, at least across the first two-dozen hours, is putting a lot of my fears to rest. It’s not revolutionary by any stretch, but it’s really good! I’m having fun, I’m excited to keep playing, I feel rewarded for exploring every corner, the story’s got my attention, and I’m not distracted by my Pokémon falling through the floor while they battle or everything crashing when I try to climb a ladder. If the rest of my adventure holds up (and the Switch 1 performance isn’t a disaster), we could finally have a 3D game worthy of the Pokémon franchise on our hands. It’d be about dang time. — Rebekah Valentine (review-in-progress)
Like the last three main series games before it, Pokémon Legends: Z-A comes with hefty caveats. It gets repetitive after a while. It’s still visually limited, despite the huge improvements on the last pair. It’s still missing dungeons, deep mysteries, a sense of big challenge to build up to, prepare for and overcome. But then it has charm in spades, from [its] humour right through to its soundtrack (a smooth, jazzy, wistful, accordion-based treat). There’s even an homage to a dungeon, that feels if nothing else like a fantastic proof of concept for one day bringing them back in 3D. — Chris Tapsell
Crucially, living and breathing city life for an entire RPG means the return to Kalos feels like a true slice of life in the Pokemon world that you’re a part of. That dream sold to us by the Pokemon anime? It’s right here, clearer than it ever has been in the actual games, and it’s impossible not to get caught up in the joy of that as you wake up and leave your new residence of Hotel Z in a morning, wild Fletchling and Pidgey flying past and perching gently on streetlights as you run down the streets with your Pokemon by your side. The lack of regional adventure may not be to everyone’s taste, but if you’ve ever fantasized about living in the Pokemon world like I have, there’s a lot to love here. — Catherine Lewis
Where Arceus de-emphasized trainer battles and towns in lieu of exploring a Sinnoh region before wider settlements had been established, Z-A consolidates the entirety of its experience within the urban setting of Kalos’ Lumiose City. While an increasing number of Wild Zones dot Lumiose’s landmarks, by far the star of the show is trainer battles, primarily within the Z-A Royale; a tournament held every night in a rotating district, as trainers compete to raise their rank in pursuit of the promise of their wish being granted. — James Galizio
While I was wandering around the cobbles of Lumiose, I realized it all felt very compact. The city is essentially one big open zone, with a fair amount of verticality. But that means I’d run through and explored the entire place within about five hours. Sure, more Wild Zones unlock as you progress, bringing more Pokémon to catch. But it left very few surprises for the entire game.
I also wish it looked better, too. Lumiose has a few lovely sights here and there, but on the whole, Legends: Z-A appears lifeless. Arceus wasn’t a graphical showcase, but that watercolor-style aesthetic gave it a really unique feel. New Pokémon Snap looks so much better and more vibrant than this. If clothes can swish around and hair flow through the wind, why can’t we have windows that aren’t just flat textures or shadows that don’t look like bleeding ink blotches on the floor? It’s a little better docked, but not much. — Alana Hagues
The Pokémon Legends series feels like it’s settling old scores. Pokémon Legends: Arceus allowed Game Freak to tell the epic story of Arceus (and finally have him easily catchable worldwide in a game), while also serving as a pseudo-remake/tribute to Generation 4 for those who didn’t love BDSP.
Pokémon Legends Z-A is a game that understands its audience and feels like a love letter to both players who grew up with X & Y and those who’ve been here the whole time. Lumoise City is finally as grand as Game Freak tried to make it with the limited power of the 3DS, and Zygarde not only earns plenty of focus, but Z-A will likely propel it from total obscurity to a fan favorite. — Jordan Middler
