Copyright futurefive
There is always a lot of hype with a new Pokemon game since Pokémon is the biggest selling media franchise of all time. Yes, Pokémon sells more merchandise per year than the likes of Star Wars and Spider-Man! There is even more hype with Pokémon Legends: Z-A, because this is the first Pokémon game to be released for the new Nintendo Switch 2 console. Even though the game is still available on the original Switch, the Switch 2 version should look and perform much better. For one thing, the Switch 2 version runs at a smoother 60fps compared to the original Switch at only 30fps. The resolution on Switch 2 is much higher, and the draw distance is much better, too. That being said, the visuals in Pokémon Legends: Z-A are still not great overall. Before I talk about the gameplay in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, let's first discuss the game's poor visual and audio presentation. The biggest omission in the game is the lack of voice acting. Cutscenes and dialogue scenes appear awkward when you see a character speak, but the audio is all muted. The characters don't even mutter gibberish like they do in games like Banjo-Kazooie. For a franchise that employs voice actors for its anime series, the video games should have voice acting by now. The other elephant in the room to talk about is the disappointing graphics of Pokémon Legends: Z-A. The Switch 2 is a console that is supposed to be more powerful than a PS4 Pro, but the graphics in this game look as bad as an average PS2 title. The game takes place entirely in Lumiose City, and this is a location people who have played Pokémon X+Y should be familiar with. Unlike older Pokémon games, this is an urban setting with little to no natural environments whatsoever. The only problem is that Lumiose City looks dull for a game released on the Switch 2. The balconies on buildings are flat textures; there are no moving cars, and the people in the city hardly feel alive. Not to mention, some building textures don't even match up with one another. Despite the disappointing graphics, the gameplay in Pokémon Legends: Z-A should be familiar to veteran Pokémon trainers out there. You create your own male or female character, and they will live in a location called Hotel Z. Your playable character will be guided by another character called either Urbain or Taunie, and they are skilled Pokémon trainers. Before you become a Pokémon master, you are tasked to join Team MZ. The starting Pokémon you can choose include Chikorita, Tepig, and Totodile. The combat is simple because your Pokémon's moves are assigned to the X, Y, A, and B buttons. However, the biggest change in Z-A is that the traditional turn-based battles have changed. The action based combat now happens in real-time, which is a first for the series. As you play through the game, your Pokémon levels will increase and more moves will become available. The more you grind, the stronger your Pokémon will be. Levelling up is important in order to progress. Despite the city looking empty on the outside, there are still a lot of facilities you can visit in Lumiose City. The city includes arcades, restaurants, cafes, lots of rooftops, and even shop to change your clothes and appearance. Much like other Pokémon video games, you can also visit the Pokémon centres to heal your Pokémon, or buy things like more Poké Balls and potions to cure Pokémon during battles. You will need to earn Poke Dollars to spend on items, and this currency is earned via completing missions and side quests. The main goal of Pokémon Legends: Z-A is to simply up your ranking. Everybody starts at rank Z, and your goal is to pretty much make it up to rank A. Winning lots of battles or defeating Pokémon with certain move types is the best way to rank up in this game. If you need to capture more Pokémon, you need to visit the game's 'Wildzones'. You need to sneak up on wild Pokémon and capture them using your Poké Balls. Alternatively, you can engage wild Pokémon in battle to make them weaker and easier to catch. Visiting different Wildzones means you will see different Pokémon to catch. The maximum number of Pokémon you can have in your active party is six. You can switch Pokémon during battles if you think another one is stronger than the one you are using currently. After all, it's all about exploiting the weakness of your opponents during battles. Another thing you can do in Pokémon Legends: Z-A is achieving Mega Evolutions for your Pokémon. By doing a Mega Evolution, your Pokémon not only changes appearance, but their attributes are better, meaning they are more formidable in battles. In terms of length, it took me close to 30 hours to finish the game for the first time. You can add several more hours to that number if you plan on getting 100%. DLC is coming next year, which will add even more play time for buyers. While the graphics are outdated and the lack of voice acting is disappointing, Pokémon Legends: Z-A can still be a fun and addictive game if you strictly concentrate on its gameplay only. Hopefully, developer Game Freak listens to fan feedback so future games look much better, though. Verdict: 7.5/10
