Pokémon Legends Z-A’sfirst official gameplay trailer revealed a lot about the game, and it has gotten everyone naturally very excited. Considering just how long players were left guessing whatLegends Z-Awould entail, it is great that Nintendo finally dropped actual gameplay footage. Of course, everyone has taken to dissecting the trailer, and rightfully so, as there was rather a lot shown that’s worth further investigation. This includes its setting and how it has changed sincePokémon X & Y, the reintroduction of Mega Evolutions, and the return of some important characters.
However, while there were a lot offeatures you missed inZ-A’strailer, one that absolutely everyone saw and has since become the biggest talking point is its implementation of real-time combat. This is something thatPokémon Legends Z-Ahas thankfully borrowed from another Nintendo franchise - one of its very best, in fact. However,it shouldn’t be the only feature it takes from it, as it has plenty to offerPokémonthat could vastly improve its somewhat antiquated formula.
Pokémon Legends Z-A Has Borrowed Xenoblade Chronicles Combat
It Is The First Pokémon Game With Real-Time Combat
I have been saying for a while thatMonolith Soft should makePokémon, and it feels like Game Freak has finally listened, well, at least somewhat. My reasoning for increasing Monolith Soft, the developer of theXenoblade Chroniclesseries, involvement in thePokémonseries is thatXBC2is, fundamentally, aPokémongame disguised as one of the greatest JRPGs ever made. It features collectible creatures stored in little crystals called Blades that fight alongside the game’s protagonist, Rex, and his companions, and vast open areas filled with creatures of varying levels waiting to be defeated.
However, unlikePokémon, it is a real-time action game, with the Blades giving their weapons and abilities to the player. These abilities can be used on a cooldown during combat, with each Blade having its own elemental affinity that works well in conjunction with another element type. It is more or less what Game Freak has adopted for itsreal-timePokémoncombat, even down to the UI placement of the Pokémon’s four attacks. The player’s position in relation to their enemy was also an important component ofXBC2’scombat, just like it seemingly is inZ-A.
It is really great to see that Game Freak has borrowed from Monolith Soft’s masterpiece, and is also willing to innovate on the turn-based formula that has been the foundation ofPokémon’scombat since the very first game. While many still enjoy it, it is hard not to feel likePokémon’scombat has grown a little stale, with its four-move limit and lack of strategy beyond using whatever ability the game tells you will be the most effective.Real-time combat will increase the level of strategy required to approach each encounter, and that is absolutely a huge improvement.
Pokémon Legends: Z-A Would Benefit From XBC2’s Blade Quests
They Would Help Make Pokémon Feel Special
However,the real-time combat ofXenoblade Chronicles 2isn’t the only feature thatPokémon Legends Z-Ashould borrow from the series. Another aspect ofXBC2that would greatly benefit not onlyLegends Z-Abut also the entirePokémonfranchise, is the inclusion of Blade Quests. InXenoblade Chronicles 2, there were standard Blades that could be collected ad nauseam, and rare Blades, that were one of a kind, and also came with their own questlines. These would often involve the player helping the Blade and learning more about its backstory and potentially even previous drivers.
Blade Quests could function largely the same way inPokémon Legends Z-Abut with specific rare Pokémon, or even basic Pokémon, rather than Blades.Giving questlines to certain Pokémon that the player can catch or unlock would build a strong bond between the player and that Pokémon, as well as give it some character beyond the biography found in its summary. This wouldn’t be too dissimilar to whatPokémonhas already started doing with theamazing Koraidon inPokémon Scarlet- or Miraidon inPokémon Violet- but just on a significantly smaller yet more frequent scale.
Forget AZ, Pokémon Legends: Z-A Might be Hiding Another Immortal
AZ may have been revealed as part of Pokémon Legends: Z-A’s cast, but the franchise also provides the perfect set-up for a second immortal NPC.
One of the biggest issues withPokémonat the moment is the disconnect between players and their party. While it isn’t difficult to form a connection through winning battles or using a particular Pokémon a lot, merely leveling them up no longer feels sufficiently immersive.Adding quests toPokémon- not necessarily all of them, but maybe just unique ones - would rectify that issue, while also fleshing out the titular legends ofZ-A. It would give so much personality toZ-Aand its roster of Pokémon, and also theincredible setting of Lumiose Cityand the people living within it.
Pokémon Legends: Z-A Should Borrow XBC3’s Hero Quests
They Could Be The New Form Of Gym Battles
Anotherfeature thatPokémon Legends Z-Acould borrow from theXenoblade Chroniclesseries, specifically the third entry, is Hero Quests. In thephenomenalXenoblade Chronicles 3, players encounter Heroes, whose class type can be unlocked by completing their mission. It was a novel feature that, much like Blade Quests, helped players build up a rapport with those characters, thus making their classes feel like a tangible and meaningful reward. Considering thatPokémondoesn’t have companions or classes, the inclusion of Hero Quests may seem odd, but there’s an obvious way of including them.
Gym leaders are often just a gate to progression, a way of ensuring the player is the right level before tackling the next area. However,they could be vastly improved if they had their own questlines, not unlike the Hero Quests inXBC3.Pokémon Legends Z-Aalmost certainly won’t feature traditional Gym leaders, mostly because Lumiose City only has one Gym, but it will likely include a series of enemies or characters for the player to fight. Giving them a questline that makes fighting them feel more meaningful would go a long way in making progression more interesting and involved.
I Have The Perfect Idea For The Next Pokémon Legends Game, But It Would Have To Come Soon
I know exactly what the next Pokémon Legends game should be, but to make the most of it, the Pokémon Company will have to act fast.
This, along with the aforementionedXenoblade Chronicles 2features, would also help improvePokémon’slong-held issue with narrative. They would add smaller yet nevertheless impactful stories that would supplement the larger narrative.Pokémon Legends Z-Aoffers the perfect opportunity for Game Freak to experiment more with narrative, just like it is with its gameplay and location. While it remains to be seen just how muchPokémon Legends Z-Aborrows fromXenoblade Chronicles, even just the real-time battles is a huge step in the right direction.
