New footage of Pokémon Legends: Z-A was shown during today’s Presents showcase and it did not disappoint. Aside from remarkably improved visuals over Legends: Arceus, this new game also has a vastly improved combat system. Thanks to a combination of real-time movement and turn-based attacks, this could be the franchise’s best battle system yet.
Z-A is set in the city of Lumiose from the Kalos region, based on X and Y. Players will be able to choose Totodile, Chikorita, and Tepig as their starting partner. It’s not yet known what the main character’s quest is but it looks like there won’t be any mystic elements like in Arceus, at least not right now.
What really sets Pokémon Legends: Z-A apart from other games in the series is its combat system. More information was given after the showcase trailer, revealing that placement and timing of your Pokémon will be crucial for these battles.
You and your Pokémon move in real-time during battles, meaning it's now possible to dodge moves from opponents. Naturally, your rival trainers can do the same thing, making these battles much more tense and interesting. Simply put, placement and movement matter, so you can’t just rely on the same weakness-based battles, at least that’s what the showcase implies.
If done right, the battle system in Pokémon Legends: Z-A might be the best combat ever seen in this franchise. Adding real-time elements while keeping the turn-based actions is such a small improvement but it changes so much. We’re genuinely surprised that Game Freak didn’t think of this earlier but it should make for the series’ best battles. Luckily for fans of the simpler battle system, there are always Pokémon Champions for classic turn-based fights.
Unfortunately, there is no release date yet, though the trailer states that Pokémon Legends: Z-A is coming out in Fall 2025. That’s still far off but we’re just glad that Game Freak had some time to make this game more polished. It will be interesting to see if an improved version will come to Switch 2.
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