Customer Ratings & Reviews

If you enjoy Pokemon for the battles, you will love this game. Despite only taking place in Lumiose City, I think there’s a lot to do here in terms of missions and exploration. While I wish Lumiose had some more diverse looks for it’s sectors, I still had a lot of fun roaming around the city. The catching mechanics are a little stripped back compared to that of Legends Arceus, but the core idea of catching Pokemon still remains the same in how it was in the previous Legends entry. The story (for a Pokemon game) was quite good, although it got a bit repetitive nearing the end. Overall, I loved this game, and it got me interested in Pokemon battles, something that I wasn’t that interested in before this game.

I did enjoy this game. Playing through the story was fun enough and it's a somewhat fresh take on Pokemon. If you are big on the typical style of Pokemon game, just keep in mind that this is very different. Pros - - Fresh, fast-paced battle system, well-designed characters -Decent story that takes place 5 years after Pokemon X/Y but playing X/Y doesn't feel super necessary to understand the story (although it does help) -Character customization is eons better than Scarlet and Violet was -Characters are well-designed -The game runs well on Switch 2 (I do not have the original Switch version so I can not speak for that, but I have heard it similarly runs well) -Shiny hunting is actually kind of fun Cons - -It is necessary to participate in pvp if you want to obtain specific megastones (at the time of writing this) -DLC was announced before the game even came out which might put a bad taste in some people's mouths -The day/night transitions can be kind of annoying and interrupt wild pokemon battles, resetting them -This one is subjective, but the map, overall, is pretty small. If you like bigger exploration areas, this isn't really all that big in comparison to other open world games. It takes place in a single city and you can go up and down rooftops and whatnot, but keep in mind that it's not a huge game in it's entirety. -The parkour controls are kind of annoying to get used to. In the end, I still enjoyed the game regardless of a few flaws. It's worth picking up if you really like Pokemon, but if you're a casual fan and on the fence about it, you could probably skip this one and not miss out too much.

The real time battle system is a really great spin on the tried and true method Pokemon has set up; not what I would want the default to be going forward for the franchise, but I wouldn't mind going back to this every so often. That said, the biggest flaw this game has is the size of the map. and I hope with all Pokemon games going forward being built specifically for the Switch 2 and not having to accommodate the older Switch 1 hardware we'll have more rendered locations and a larger map; but still a great experience overall, would recommend. No voice acting almost ten years into the Pokemon being on the switch is a little silly though.

A step up from Legends Arceus! It is definitely different from Arceus but absolutely enjoyable. I love how Arceus changed the dynamic of Pokemon games and with ZA it also made its own mark on the series. The story is quiet interesting and finding out this is a sequel to X and Y makes me want to revisit those two games. The best part? Mega Evolution is back and completing the pokedex is a challenge I always enjoyed. Luckily got to experience all this on the Switch 2.

It's an enjoyable game with an interesting story and fun characters, especially if you're not going into the experience looking for things to complain about like many people who post online about the game. Runs really smoothly on the Switch 2. My major issue with the game is that the company needs to step up and put more time into their world design. In 2025, there's really no excuse to have buildings looking like a completely flat image on the outside. Otherwise, I've enjoyed the game!

Great Pokemon game overall. I enjoy the Legends thing where you wander around and can catch pokemon by sneaking up on them (honestly it's part of what I liked about Palworld). Only problems: Game feels accelerated (you get a huge bump in standings early on, I would have rather drawn things out and had more fights). No voice acting. Voice acting in the cut scenes would have been nice. Not a game break by any means, but it feels lacking. Overall though a solid game and a lot of fun.

Pros: -fresh battle system and fun gameplay loop -cute story with likeable characters -excellent music Cons: -half-baked graphics and presentation -long, uninteresting dialogue sections Overall: Z-A captures some of the charm that has made Pokemon so successful, but is hindered by some dumb mistakes and unforced errors. An actually somewhat compelling story filled with well-written characters is held back by uninspired and outdated presentation. While the lackluster graphics never took me out of the experience, it is a shame that a brand as lucrative as Pokemon is not able to produce a mainline game with strong visuals or an interesting stylistic direction. The decision to have no voice acting in games with fully animated cutscenes has befuddled me since Sword and Shield in 2019. It creates for some awkward moments that I truly feel prevents the story from having any real impact. The game is carried by a fun gameplay loop accompanied by a great soundtrack. I can feel the appreciation the game has towards X and Y, and I admire it for filling out the world for a region that honestly had a pretty forgettable story. I think Legends ZA is another step in the right direction for Game Freak, but there is still work to be done if they want to compete with the quality and artistry of some of their contemporaries. They can certainly rope me in with new Pokemon forms and old characters, but I still wish for an experience with the detail and care that some other studios are able to bring with each new game. I hope one day Pokemon can be a trend-setter instead of lagging behind the industry standard. Overall, the best Pokemon game in years.

Overall, Pokémon Legends: Z-A is a solid and enjoyable entry that tries something new while still feeling like Pokémon. The real-time battle system is a refreshing change and makes combat feel more engaging than the traditional turn-based format. I was especially happy to see Mega Evolutions return, they’re well integrated and add excitement to battles. The story and characters are stronger than in many recent Pokémon games, and Lumiose City is interesting at first. However, being confined to a single city does start to feel repetitive over time, and exploration can feel limited compared to more open Pokémon titles. Performance is smooth, which is appreciated, but visually the game feels a bit underwhelming. The lack of voice acting during important story moments also hurts immersion. While the experience is fun, the price point feels slightly high for the scope of the content. That said, if you enjoy Pokémon experimenting with new gameplay mechanics and don’t mind a more contained world, this game is worth playing. It’s not perfect, but it’s a step in an interesting direction for the franchise.

It's fun game but don't expect much from the switch to version.It's just basically better performance and a little bit better on the visuals. The switch version has some problems, so that's why I got the switch two version. This switch 2 version works on a switch one and also switch 2. The gameplay is very exciting and very new to the Pokémon series. Things I would say is that the world should have been a little bit bigger also the textures of the city should have been way better

I’m really enjoying Pokémon Legends: Z‑A for the Nintendo Switch 2. The game looks great and runs very smoothly. The city environment feels alive and there is always something fun to explore. Catching and battling Pokémon is exciting, and the gameplay feels fresh compared to older Pokémon games. I also like the graphics and the new mechanics that make exploring the world more interactive. If you enjoy Pokémon games or adventure games, this is definitely worth playing. It’s fun, immersive, and easy to get into. Highly recommended!

I have enjoyed the game a lot. It does have some pretty glaring faults like the lack of voice acting, the single setting of the game, and awful decision to used pngs for the building exteriors; however, the core mechanics is a pokemon game. The battle system is interestingly different, and catching pokemon is always fun. It is by far not the best game in the series, but i have not regretted my purchase.

Pokémon Legends: ZA has completely exceeded my expectations and quickly become one of my favorite Pokémon experiences in years. The world feels alive in a way that pulls you in from the very beginning. Lumiose City and its surrounding regions are beautifully reimagined with a mix of nostalgia and fresh creativity. I love how the game blends open-world exploration with story-driven missions, making every session feel like an adventure rather than a checklist. The pacing is smoother than previous Legends titles, battles feel more dynamic, and the new mechanics, especially the way wild Pokémon interact with the environment, add an extra layer of immersion. The storyline is surprisingly engaging too, with a darker, more mysterious tone that kept me curious about what was coming next. Whether I'm tracking down rare Pokémon, experimenting with new strategies, or just wandering and taking in the scenery, the game constantly rewards curiosity. Overall, I absolutely love Pokémon Legends: ZA and I’d highly recommend it to any Pokémon fan.

Going into this game I had mixed opinions. I’m a diehard Pokémon fan. I’ve been playing since Red and Blue and thought the games peaked around the DS era. But I’ve gotta say, this game is up there as one of my favorites. However this game is not without faults. Gamefreak should have added voice acting to this game, it would have done wonders. The graphics are overall pretty good but could always be better coming from the largest franchise on earth! And finally, I wish it had difficulty settings. A hard difficulty would have made this a top 3 Pokemon game for me. Now for what I liked. The battling system with a breath of fresh air! Some people love it some people hate it, I love it! It feels like an actual battle like in the anime. You have to think on the fly and don’t have time to stratagize. Bringing back Mega Evolution is also something I personally enjoy and am happy to see it back, even if it’s not going to reappear again, but who knows. Overall I really enjoyed the main game and look forward to the DLC!

Love the game, Runs amazing on the Switch 2. The story for the game was pretty good and I got a lot more attached to the different characters in the story than I thought I would. The battle system in this game is a refreshing change from the typical Pokemon games.

This version is better. Sharp graphics, near steady 60fps. However the map is not as big as the last Pokémon Legends games.

Based on gameplay alone, this is a fantastic game. The fact that battle is now "live" and skills now have a processing and cooldown period really adds a new layer of challenge and excitement to the series. Alpha Pokémon are pretty intimidating at first, but once you level your Pokémon and access Mega Evolution, it gets easier. This is the most fun I've had with a Pokémon game in a while. The graphics (especially the walls of buildings) could have used some additional polishing, but the characters and most of the world look fantastic. The main story and side quests are a lot of fun, too! I've been taking my time with the game because I'm in no hurry to see it end. Definitely a must-buy for a Pokémon fan!

It’s so much fun just to wander around and collect things! The battling goes so fast that it’s intimidating (at least to me, who’s not used to real-time combat), and there’s tons of pokemon to capture and evolve. It takes some of the best parts of Arceus and the classic games and blended them into a lively city, which is bigger than you think at first glance. The graphics are gorgeous, there’s been no stuttering, and it’s nice to have plenty of side quests and independence to tackle the story when you feel like it after you progress through a certain part. There’s some nice QOL changes too…. Not all pokemon are easy to catch, which also makes it a challenge. They did well with this game and you can tell they poured a lot of love into it.

Super fun game. If you love pokemon and are a fan, I recommend the game. The story is great and the new gameplay is very fun and similar to pokemon arceus game.

The game has been very enjoyable. The new battle system is fun and more engaging. It’s been exciting to explore Lumiose and watch it change over the course of the game

✅ What’s Good The game introduces a real-time hybrid combat system (rather than purely turn-based) that many reviewers found to be refreshing and fun. Game Rant +1 The performance on the Switch 2 is solid: improved frame-rate (60fps target), quicker load times, better image quality. It builds upon the experiment of the earlier Pokémon Legends: Arceus, refining certain mechanics and giving fans a “new direction”. TechRadar called it “a mega-evolution for the franchise.” There’s a lot of content: main story, side-quests, catching and collecting, new mechanics like Mega Evolutions revisited.