Pokemon Legends Z-Ahas some big shoes to fill as a followup fromLegends ArceusandPokemon Scarlet and Violet. However, noPokemongame is perfect, andScarlet and Violethad many fans pointing out its faults.Pokemon Legends Z-Amight just have the perfect remedy to solve one common gripe.
Each new venture into the world ofPokemonbrings developers a new set of issues to contend with.Scarlet and Violet, for instance, prioritized an open world. Naturally, this allowed it to make the world much larger than anyPokemongame before it, but that came with a caveat. Perhaps because thePokemondesigners weren’t used to open world settings, the large world usually felt empty. Between the cities, there were plenty of Pokemon to battle, but not much else to do or see; worse, the cities themselves were mostly drab and repetitive.Pokemon Scarlet and Violet’s open world wasn’t compellingenough to stand on its own, but withPokemon Legends Z-Aset to take place entirely within the hub of Lumiose City, this may be an issue the new game won’t have to contend with.
Pokemon Legends: Z-A’s Smaller Setting Doesn’t Mean It’s Lesser
The news thatPokemon Legends Z-Awould take place in a single city rather than a whole region took many by surprise. After games as large and open asScarlet and Violet, it may sound like a step backwards to limit the whole experience to only one location. It’s certainlyan ambitious move forPokemondeveloper Game Freakto try something so unprecedented, but Lumiose City is possibly the largest hub city of anyPokemongame. It’s so large that some fans even complained about traversing it duringPokemon X and Y. If anyPokemoncity could handle a starring role, Lumiose is the one. Placing the game in a sprawling city gives the developers a chance to densely populate the area with interesting encounters for the player.
Can Lumiose City Support the Weight of This Game?
The real issue withScarlet and Violetwasn’t the size of the map, but the amount of barren space within it. The best way to combat this issue is by leaning into the dense population of Lumiose City. One thingLegends Arceuswas praised for was introducingall of thePokemonancestor charactersfor fans to encounter.Legends Z-Ahas an opportunity to do something similar by including more ancestors or descendants to discover around the city. Surely, each one would come with quests and stories of their own as well, providing more content in addition to their physical presence.
Another way to expand on the city setting is by including more shops, cafes, and battle-based buildings like Pokemon gyms. The trailer revealed the Lumiose City Urban Redevelopment Plan, leading some to wonder ifPokemon Legends Z-Amight be a city building game. While that remains unclear, it appears that during the game the city will be changing. The addition of new storefronts and buildings gives players an excellent area to explore. If every new building comes with some kind of challenge or rebuilding quest, the player will have plenty of work on their hands in every new location.
Of course, it can’t be discounted that this is aPokemongame, so battling and collecting Pokemon will still be at the heart of the experience. With mega evolution set to take center stage again, many fans are already hoping to receivenew mega evolutions for fan-favorite Pokemonthat were snubbed the first time around. This is likely the cornerstone of any story thatLegends Z-Ais going to tell. So, in addition to all the side quests and urban exploration, players will still be searching for and collecting Pokemon found in the city limits. This familiar experience in a brand-new setting for the series adds yet another activity to the mix. With all of these elements used to their fullest, there shouldn’t be any worry thatPokemon Legends Z-Awill have a lackluster setting like that ofScarlet and Violet.
Pokemon Legends Z-A
The sequel to Pokemon Legends: Arceus, Pokemon Legends: Z-A takes Pokemon trainers back to the Kalos region’s Lumiose City.
