3 reasons you should be excited about Pokemon Legends: Z-A (& 2 reasons to avoid it)

With Pokemon Legends: Z-A still some time away, excitement has been growing with each passing day. Being the second title in the new Legends side series for the franchise, it has the potential to be one of the best the series has ever seen. As such, there are many different aspects to be looking forward to. The game is set to revolve around Lumiose City, one of the biggest cities in the franchise, and brings back the beloved action-based catching system from the first Legends title.

However, many fans also cannot help but be skeptical of the game, considering the recent track record of Game Freak and the quality of their titles. This particular title also pushes the envelope compared to other games in the franchise due to its supposed theme of time traveling and the different stages of progression of Lumiose City.

Here are some reasons to be excited for and cautious of Pokemon Legends: Z-A.

Note: This article is subjective and solely based on the author's opinion.

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3 reasons to look forward to Pokemon Legends: Z-A

1) New Lore

The Kalos region has some of the deepest lore in the Pokemon franchise (Image via The Pokemon Company)

One of the most memorable parts of the Kalos region, the place where Pokemon Legends: Z-A takes place, is the rich lore of the region's past. With Z-A taking place in Lumiose City over the course of its development, there is a good chance that players will be able to experience the story of the region's great war themselves.

The story of the Kalos region involves the old king of the region losing his favorite Pokemon. The king then constructs a giant machine that uses life energy in an attempt to bring his loyal companion back. Though his machine was successful, he was still angry at the world that harmed his friend and turned his machine into a powerful weapon.

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2) Return to real-time gameplay

The Legends series features action-based gameplay where players can catch and battle monsters directly from the overworld (Image via Game Freak)

One of the things many fans praised about Pokemon Legends: Arceus when it first debuted was the action-based gameplay where players could sneak up on and catch wild Pokemon without the need for lengthy battle start animations. After this gameplay tweak was not present in the following mainline title, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, many fans missed this mechanic.

With the release of Pokemon Legends: Z-A, it would be safe to assume that this beloved form of gameplay will be returning. This real-time style of catching Pokemon not only significantly helps the game's pacing, but also makes hunting for certain types of creatures like larger or shiny variants much easier.

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3) New Starter Pokemon

New Starter Pokemon are always some of the most anticipated parts of any new Pokemon game (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Much like the Legends game prior, Pokemon Legends: Z-A will have new forms of beloved Starter Pokemon. While the exact three creatures that will be selected for this game have yet to be confirmed, discovering these new forms is one of the most exciting parts of these new games.

The Hisuian Starters from Legends: Arceus took old starters and revitalized them for the newer generation they could soon be transferred to. As such, it would be safe to assume that these Kalos forms could be used in the next generation of the main series while receiving some hefty buffs to make them competitively viable.

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2 reasons to be wary of Pokemon Legends: Z-A

1) Performance issues

While Pokemon Legends: Arceus was a great game in terms of mechanics and gameplay, its visual and performance quality left much to be desired (Image via Game Freak)

To address the Copperajah in the room, these games are cursed with the looming threat of being on the Nintendo Switch, a console that is over seven years old and confirmed to be in the last years of its life cycle. Game Freak has also gained a reputation for its poor optimization of games and lackluster graphical quality since the release of Pokemon Sword and Shield back in 2019.

With Pokemon Legends: Z-A supposedly being one of the company's most ambitious titles, performance issues could be riding its coattail. While many fans are hoping its extended development time could help resolve potential issues, the Switch's age leaves many unsure.

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2) Poor storytelling

While Legends: Arceus had a decent plot, telling it through choppy cutscenes and textboxes greatly harmed the experience (Image via Game Freak)

Pokemon storytelling has become quite dated over the years with it being one of Nintendo's few franchises to lack any sort of character voice acting outside of the occasional grunt from the main character. While this has never been a huge issue in the game's past, many fans are feeling the effects of it in the franchise's modern era.

Pokemon Legends: Arceus came under a lot of criticism due to its great narrative being told solely through poorly-animated cutscenes and textboxes. As such, many fans worry that Pokemon Legends: Z-A could fall under the same curse. Fans can only hope that the extended development time could mean that voice acting could be in the franchise's future, but this is mere speculation.