Pokemon Legends ZA is the followup to Legends Arceus from a couple years ago. It departs from the mainline games, opting for a real-time battle system, and takes place entirely in one large city.

I have a few pros and cons with this game. The new battle system is genuinely fantastic. It's a lot more dynamic than the main turn-based games, and really keeps you on your toes. At its core it's still a rock, paper, scissors match with types, but the added movement and cooldowns increase the pace and make you really think about what order to do moves in.

The catching mechanics are also pretty fun. I really like how quick everything is. It also runs well on the Switch 2.

Now, for the cons. This game, like all recent Pokemon games, looks like garbage. It honestly looks like a very early PS3 game. The character models are ok, but all the buildings are boxy, flat, and simple. It's astonishing. Pokemon is the largest IP in the world and it's embarrassing that these games aren't the pushing the Switch 2 much more.

It's also really, really handholdy. I noticed this in Sword as well, and it's apparently just as bad in Arceus and Scarlet/Violet. I'm 3-4 hours in and the game is still just railroading me from one event to another. Just let me play!

All in all, I'm having fun with the game and I'll likely finish it because I like Pokemon. But there's always been a slight feeling of disappointment with these recent games because I know there's so much potential for more.

Verdict: Keep Playing

Part of the Game Library Project