Exclusive Look: ‘Pokémon Legends: Z-A’ Demos
We flew to the Pokémon World Championships to play the upcoming game first. Here’s everything you need to know.
Pokémon Legends: Arceus was a bold step in a new direction for The Pokémon Company in early 2022. The title’s open-world format invited exploration unlike any other Pokémon title before it. Battling takes a backseat to sneaking up and catching Pokémon wandering the world. Meanwhile, special Noble Pokémon enter frenzies and require the player to quell them by dodging attacks and throwing their favorite food at them. Casting aside decades of a proven formula for the Pokémon franchise was risky; however, it paid off. Critical acclaim and an outpouring of fan appreciation have established Legends: Arceus as the first Pokémon title in the Nintendo Switch era without any notable fan controversy.
Based on the success of Legends: Arceus, the announcement of a second Pokémon Legends title came as no surprise. Pokémon Legends: Z-A made its first appearance during a Pokémon Presents livestream in February of last year and captivated fans with its brief introduction. Several trailers have been shared since then, as the title is set to launch on October 16 of this year. We traveled to the Pokémon World Championships to be a part of the first group to play the game and have assembled a complete rundown of the exciting experience, including behind-the-scenes looks at gameplay.
Teaser Recap
Before we dive into the two-part demo experience, let’s speed through what we learned from the past year and a half of teasers. Unlike its predecessor, Legends: Z-A is all about battling. The title introduces us to real-time battles, a first for the Pokémon RPG series. The Z-A Royale invites players to battle each night, climbing the ranks from Rank Z to Rank A.
The game takes place entirely in the Kalos region’s Lumiose City, where Pokémon roam freely in designated “wild zones.” Outside these areas, the metropolis has transformed dramatically since the days of Pokémon X and Y. These were the games that introduced Mega Evolution, one of the series’ most beloved mechanics. This new type of evolution allows Pokémon like Charizard to transform into a stronger form of itself, featuring an even more menacing look. Despite it being a fan favorite element, Mega Evolution has not been available in the past two generations of Pokémon games. However, The Pokémon Company revealed its return in Legends: Z-A. Various Mega Pokémon are confirmed to be back, with only one new Mega revealed so far, Mega Dragonite.
Real-Time Battling Demo
The Pokémon Company/Logan Fairbrother/Hypebeast
The Pokémon Company/Logan Fairbrother/Hypebeast
The Pokémon Company/Logan Fairbrother/Hypebeast
The Pokémon Company/Logan Fairbrother/Hypebeast
The Pokémon Company/Logan Fairbrother/Hypebeast
The Pokémon Company/Logan Fairbrother/Hypebeast
The Pokémon Company/Logan Fairbrother/Hypebeast
Up first was a preview of the new real-time battling system. Taking control of my trainer, which had a party of four low-level Pokémon, I took a moment to familiarize myself with the controls. Movement is similar to Legends: Arceus, with sprint, sneak, and tumble options offering fluid mobility tailored to various situations. Then, I stepped into the first “Battle Zone,” where I would be challenging trainers to earn a ticket to take on the zone’s head honcho.
Shortly after I stepped into the Battle Zone, a trainer jumped me, leaving me more shocked than my Pokémon. My Chikorita was immediately taking one hit after another before our guide told me how to attack back. Once I finally targeted the opposing grunt’s Pokémon, it was game on. I was able to return fire with a salvo of attacks and even swapped Pokémon for a type advantage, securing a comfortable win.
In typical Pokémon games, both trainers select an action to perform, which are then executed based on a priority system. With Legends: Z-A, both parties can launch attacks constantly. Each move has a cooldown, with a momentary global cooldown. For people like me who love pressing buttons, it’s an incredibly refreshing experience. We’ll see how battling looks at higher levels; however, the pacing of this revamp looks to invite more room for skill expression. Long gone are the days of simply spamming whichever move best counters your opposition. Now, the sequencing of each move warrants consideration, and trainers looking for an upper hand will likely want to retool their Pokémon’s moveset for each big battle, ensuring that its secondary and tertiary moves will be beneficial in the matchup.
After being ambushed in my first encounter, I was able to sneak up on an unsuspecting trainer and surprise them with an attack. Unlike previous games, the trainer’s lead Pokémon is out in the open, offering players the opportunity to select an appropriate Pokémon to start with. I made quick work of the second and third trainers, which gave me a ticket to take on the zone’s lead trainer in an attempt to rank up. However, instead of another trainer battle, it was now time to switch setups and up the ante.
Rogue Mega Evolution Demo
Logan Fairbrother/Hypebeast
Logan Fairbrother/Hypebeast
Logan Fairbrother/Hypebeast
Logan Fairbrother/Hypebeast
Logan Fairbrother/Hypebeast
Logan Fairbrother/Hypebeast
Like many Pokémon fans, Mega Evolution is one of my favorite mechanics. However, these souped-up versions of Pokémon were not something I interacted with much in playthroughs of games like Pokémon X and Y. In most instances, it wasn’t worth taking the time to watch the entire Mega Evolution animation just to boost my strength in an already easy battle. Legends: Z-A seems to have solved this with its new systems, especially the centerpiece of the second demo: Rogue Mega Evolution.
I had my fun with the initial bit of gameplay, but I knew this portion would be the make-or-break moment for me. With Legends: Arceus, I enjoyed quelling the Noble Pokémon, but these were moments centered around my human character, one that has always been an afterthought for me when compared to my party of six Pokémon. Rogue Mega Evolution seems to be the successor to this, and one that makes both you and your Pokémon the stars of the show together.
After a tension-building sequence of following Zygarde in its 10% Forme, it carried me to a rooftop where I faced an Absol that looked like it was in pain. Then, a familiar face appeared. A mysterious old man known as AZ, accompanied by a Lucario, passed me a Mega Ring and prompted me to confront Absol with the help of Lucario. Absol underwent Rogue Mega Evolution, transforming into Mega Absol before attempting to attack not only Lucario, but my character as well.
Enclosed in a fiery circle, it was time to put my new battle skills to the test. I targeted the Rogue Mega Absol and unleashed my moves, pressing one after another while remaining mindful of Absol’s long-range attacks and leaps that were targeting me. Eventually, orbs of Mega Power would drop for me to collect, charging up my Mega Ring. Upon reaching a certain threshold, typically after around 30 seconds of attacks, it was time to Mega Evolve my Lucario.
Mega Lucario brought a significant amount of additional firepower to the fight. However, unlike in previous titles, there’s a brief period until it transforms back into its standard form. You can delay this reversion by collecting more Mega Power, but it seems inevitable. A second opportunity to Mega Evolve did occur, further straying away from previous restrictions.
Despite being the introduction to Rogue Mega Evolution, the fight easily took several minutes and may have resulted in my defeat had I not used a Potion. After I successfully knocked out the Absol, the game rewarded me with an Absolite, the Mega Stone required to Mega Evolve Absol. Characters discuss how others have reported Rogue Mega Evolution before Absol approached me to be “caught.” A mission complete screen flashed at the end, noting this as the ninth “main mission” in the game.
As a lifelong Pokémon fan, my enthusiasm for the demo experience was inevitable; however, it surpassed my expectations. It’s rash to judge a game based on two brief demos, but one thing is clear: this is unlike any Pokémon game before I’ve seen.
‘Pokémon Legends: Z-A’ is set to release globally on October 16 for the Nintendo Switch and Switch 2. Physical and digital copies will be available at prices of $60 USD and $70 USD for the Switch and Switch 2, respectively. In the meantime, the Pokémon World Championships have begun today in Anaheim, California. Head over to the Play Pokémon YouTube channel to check out all of the action and look out for Sunday’s closing ceremony to feature many exciting reveals for the Pokémon franchise.
