WhenPokémon Legends: Z-Awas first announced, the only thing fans really knew about it was that the upcoming title would take place in the Kalos region. The new entry in theLegendsseries is set to return to the sixth generation of the long-runningPokémonfranchise from the era ofPokémon X and Y. The original reveal trailer made it clear that Lumiose City, the largest city in the Kalos region, would be playing an important role in the upcoming game.
When the new trailer forZ-Awas released during thePokémon Presents stream on Pokémon Day, it became apparent just how central Lumiose will be to the game. Unlike previous games,it seems that the entirety of the game will revolve around the cityand its growth during this critical period of redevelopment. The setting is certainly a cool concept that takes the franchise in a new direction, but I still have some reservations.
The Pseudo-Futuristic Setting Of Pokémon Legends: Z-A Is Refreshing
The Second Trailer Seems To Put The Question Of Time Frame To Rest
Since this is only the second game in theLegendsspin-off series,fans had no idea where – or when – the upcoming game would take them. The previous title in the series,Pokémon Legends: Arceus,sent players careening through history to a time before Pokémon and people had learned to coexist. This provided a unique opportunity to see the evolution of the relationship between Pokémon and human beings and how they came to coexist.
Everything We Know About Pokémon Legends: Z - A (City, Starters, Gameplay)
Pokémon Legends: Z - A’s latest trailers have shown off a lot of new details about the game, including more about its setting, starters, and battles.
Thetimeframe of the newLegendsgamewas up for debate since the first trailer remained ambiguous about when the game was taking place. It switched between what looked like old yellowing paper blueprints and neon-against-black futuristic mock-ups of the city in a way that left the time in history uncertain.
The second trailer seems to affix the title sometime after “modern” times, or at least modern in terms of thePokémonworld. The clothing and architecture look contemporary, confirming that the events of this game did not happen in the past. In fact, there are some clear signs that the title will take place after the events ofX and Y,from the brief shot of a man in the streets speaking with what seems to be a holographic rendering of a person, to the appearance of a much older version of AZ and Eternal Flower Floette, both of whom were last seen inX and Y.
Pokémon Legends: Z-A Seems Set Entirely In Lumiose City And That’s Concerning
Limiting An Entire Game To One City May Be Too Restrictive
The setting is certainly an intriguing one, locatedin the middle of a large Paris-inspired city that’s undergoing a drastic evolution. LikeArceus,Z-Aseems to be focusing on turning a location into a space shared by humans and Pokémon. Fans who playedX and Ywill also enjoy returning to the Kalos region and getting to see some old friends.
But if I understand the trailer correctly,the entirety of the game seems to be contained within Lumiose City, and that gives me pause. Instead of heading out of the city to explore the surrounding areas, the game will let players enter different “Wild Zones” intended to mimic the natural habitats of the Pokémon that inhabit them, like a series of specialized Safari Zones.
There are plenty of games that take place in one location, the immediate title that comes to mind beingSquare Enix’sFinal Fantasy 7 Remake,which takes place within the confines of Midgar. But will one city be enough to contain all the different biomes and types of terrain that all the Pokémon need?
Pokémon Legends: Z-A Will Revolutionize Battles - Here’s How They Work
New details about Pokémon Legends: Z - A have been revealed and the upcoming title is expected to revolutionize the entire battle system.
Part of what madeArceusandScarletand Violetso fun wasexploring the landscapes and discovering hidden moments. I remember looking into the sky inArceusin a location I’d thoroughly examined already and spotting a Togetic flying around, or coming across a baby Cleffa hiding in the tall grass with me while trying to catch a different Pokémon.
These whimsical moments of discovery are part of what I’ve always found most magical about thePokémongames: heading into the tall grass without knowing what you’ll discover there. I’m not sure if that’s a feeling that can be brought out in a game where each section is self-contained like the WIld Zones of Lumiose City.
To be fair,Pokémon Legends: Arceusalso had different “zones,” but the maps were large enough to allow for thorough exploration and each area offered a completely different type of terrain. It’s hard to tell from the trailer how large eachZ-AWild Zone is, but I’m hoping that they’re at least as large or varied as the ones inArceuswere. Otherwise, the game risks feeling too contained and cramped.
There May Be More Than Meets The Eye To Pokémon Legends: Z-A’s Setting
The Trailer May Be Hiding More Depth To The Game’s Setting
All that said, afterplaying and lovingPokémon Legends: Arceus,I’m confident that whatever thePokémonteam has planned for this venture into Paris-esque Lumiose City, it will be good. The second trailer does a great job of showingZ-A’suniquely urban environmentsand setting,but it doesn’t reveal too much. For instance, there’s no indication of the conflict or what will be driving players on their journey. Because of this,I believe there’s a lot we’re not seeing under the trailer’s surface, both in terms of story and setting.
I suspect there will be more to the city than what the trailer shows. Originally, fans thought the game might alternate between past and future, a mechanic that the franchise experimented with through theParadox Pokémon ofScarlet and Violet.Now that I’ve seen the trailer, it seems likethe emphasis will be on environments, not time.
At one point Zygrade, “guardian of the ecosystem,” is shown in its dog-like 10% Forme,indicating that the world may be in a state of ecological imbalance. Maybe this is the key to adding variety, with the Wild Zones having different stages depending on how “healthy” the ecosystem is at any given time. Or maybe the zones will adopt a Metroidvania-style solution like inArceus,opening up more areas to explore as players unlock new ways to navigate through the areas.
I could be wrong, and the Wild Zones and the circular city may be all there is to the game. If that’s true, the game may feel too constricting and not feel like as much of an adventure as previousPokémongames have. But I don’t think that’s all there is to it, and I believethe true nature of the city will come to lightas we find out more about the game.
After all, theLegendsgames are ways for the company toexperiment with the format, so I wouldn’t be surprised to discover thatPokémon Legends: Z-Ahas something completely unexpected planned for fans of the franchise. As someone who’s been playing the games since the originalPokémon Red,I’m happy to trust the company and come along for the ride, whatever the game has in store.
Pokemon Legends Z-A
Lumiose City is undergoing redevelopment to create a space shared by people and Pokémon. This second entry in the Pokémon Legends sub-franchise builds off the unique catching and exploration mechanics first established in Pokémon Legends: Arceus.
