Pokémon Legends: Z-A Nintendo Switch 2 - Nintendo Switch 2

It’s a different type of game as battles are real-time now instead of turn based. I personally prefer turn based as real-time takes some of the strategy out and makes battles go by fast but it is a good change of pace for a spinoff. Very nostalgic to visit Luminose city again in the game. The gameplay loop of battles and capturing is fun and now wild Pokemon can also attack the trainer which added another layer to worry about which is always welcome since these games are so easy. Frame rate is stable on Switch 2 and I feel like your enjoyment will be much better if you played X and Y as storylines and characters from those games carry over with a 5 year time jump into this game. It’s fun to see what has changed in this world since X and Y. The online battles are fun and are more of a free for all this time around rather than a one on one where 4 players roam the battlefield and try to take out as many players within the time limit. Not as much strategy involved as traditional battles but it’s a spinoff and trying something different. Now for the cons. The graphics are mediocre. I think Pokemon could use a graphics overhaul or at least an art style change as it’s always been pretty bland in the 3D era. At least the characters are getting more expressive compared to previous games but can still use some work. No voice acting which is weird when similar games like Fire Emblem have it. The game also plays the same exact animation and you can’t skip it when it switches from day to night or night to day which gets annoying. The game is also pretty easy but that’s been a thing since like Gen 5 so it’s probably never gonna change anymore. It also reminds me a lot of Halo Infinite in a bad way because both games have an open world but are very repetitive in their environments. At least they let you explore the rooftops here but you’re just in one repetitive area for the whole game which can get old considering Pokemon games are known for exploring entire regions. The online as mentioned before is different but does get repetitive at higher ranks as everyone uses the same Pokemon like Garchomp, Metagross, and the legendaries. Overall I got what I wanted which was a fun Pokemon story with new and different gameplay mechanics. I’ll only take a star off for the cons.

The game is fun. Biggest difference from the last Legends game is that there is more of a focus on Battling instead of capturing and "researching" pokemon. Battling is more dynamic instead of it being turn based, moves are on a cool down and you can move to kinda position your pokemon. Much more engaging. I do like the ZA Royale, its a fun concept that you pretty much do alot of the battling in a section of the map against NPCs every night if you want. The side missions can pretty funny and fun, and the Alpha pokemon are pretty big when compared to their normal size versions. Its really funny seeing a big version of your favorite Pokemon just follow you around the city. Mega-Evolutions make a return from previous 3DS games. You will get the ability Mega Evolve certain pokemon not too long into the Story. Taking on Rogue Mega Evolved pokemon bosses is pretty fun because you and your pokemon are battleing this really big mega evovled pokemon with alot of different attack styles, like a boss will have a ranged attack that you and your pokemon need to dodge or it can make copies of itself or call for help from smaller pokemon. The boss encounters themselves are pretty fun and you NPCs who fight along side you. Graphic wise, it looks good on the Switch 2 and the Switch 1. Mainly the Pokemon and NPCs look good but the background and the city are just average, like you can tell not as much work was put into the environment. Sound design is great. Alot of the little sounds you hear like a shiny notification or the deep Alpha Pokemons sound is very distinct. The Soundtrack for certain characters are pretty good. The Story is pretty solid. Really just trying to figure out whats going on with these certain types of Pokemon and you meet a lot of characters along the way. If you've ever played a Pokemon game its about as interesting as majority of games in the franchise. What I dont like about the game: Not really a stark difference from the Switch 1 version, outside of the framerate and clarity of the game. While the game does have alot of fashion options, the options for Male characters are terrible; makes you kinda wish you had clothing that the NPCs where wearing. I don't like how some megastones are restricted to rank battles/online - not saying it can't be fun or chaotic but it just that there only doing this because they aren't giving them away in the game itself (or permanent mystery gift) and/or they dont have like a PVE online component like Raids. I also dont like how the research levels (while somewhat easy) are a step back from Legends Arceus. Also I dont like how you do have to trade some pokemon to evolve them (I though with this being a Legends game we were passed this). The game is fun. If you like pokemon, customizing your character and actively battling with your pokemon then you'll really like the game. If your expecting a pokemon game to really show you what the Switch 2 can do or if your expecting a game significantly better then Legends of Arceus then you may be disappointed. Overall, this is another pokemon game that you can have some fun with and spend some time hunting and capturing pokemon.

Finally, a Pokémon game that runs smoothly and without major technical issues. But is it fun to play? There are some nice gameplay improvements, ditching the traditional turn-based combat in favor of a more dynamic system. It feels closer to an MMORPG where you select a skill, target an enemy, and wait for cooldowns. It can be fun, letting you rush around collecting items, fighting wild Pokémon, and quickly moving on to the next activity, but it does get repetitive at times. Lumiose City is a densely packed area full of NPCs and Pokémon, with no more roaming adventures across the world. I don’t necessarily mind that, but it starts to feel old quickly. Many buildings are basically flat textures with only small differences, and overall the visuals seem constrained by the aging Switch hardware. The developers clearly had to compromise. You can cross the map in just a couple of minutes. There’s verticality, like jumping onto rooftops, but it doesn’t add much variety. Indoor areas look much nicer by comparison, but there are only a few, and many visible doors aren’t accessible at all (the NPCs you need are just standing outside). That feels very underwhelming compared to older entries in the series. The animations are excellent, characters look great, and the cutscenes have action. But it all falls flat when no character has any voice acting, not even a little. It’s very disappointing. Pokémon Z-A’s main strengths are its dynamic combat and more fluid gameplay. That might satisfy longtime Pokémon fans, but for newcomers this feels like a very “kiddy” game. The first few hours are slow and overly hand-holdy, as if you’ve never played a game before. I found the most fun came from looping around the city, battling Pokémon nonstop, but with a constrained map and shallow character interactions, it’s hard to recommend to anyone who isn’t already a fan. Yes, it’s better than Scarlet/Violet, but that was a low bar to clear.

It’s a gem of a game. I thought about buying this game for a long time, the reviews stirred me away from buying it but I’m having so much fun. Battle system is amazing, fun and engaging, story so far it’s great, and the smooth 60 frames in switch 2 really makes this game worth it. I’m playing this in switch 2, not sure about performance in switch 1. Loading screens are quick and transitions are smooth. The picture mode is so addicting as well. I’ve probably spent 1/3 of the game in picture mode, it’s that good! I feel like the main cons from the game is the lack of voice acting, a story like this would greatly benefit from it as there are many action and funny moments. For a pokemon game, it’s very innovative and a nice addition.

Fresh and New Real Time Battle System, Memorable Characters and Cool New Mega Evolutions, Switch 2 Version has no Pop-in and Runs at a consistent 60 Frames Per Second. I got a really cool Gaming Placemat for pre ordering at Best Buy