One of the most interesting aspects aboutPokemon Legends: Z-Ais its setting, not because the setting itself is inherently odd, but because the choice to pack an entirePokemongame, let alone aLegendstitle, into a city feels like a strange one. Traditionally,Pokemongamesspan entire regions, not boxed-in urban areas, where Pokemon can be found in their natural habitat, each one more diverse than the last. There seems to be only so much an urban map is capable of in terms of design and scope, and that is even more evidenced by that ofPokemon Legends: Arceus' world. Size and variety may not be the only thing holding backPokemon Legends: Z-A’s Lumiose City, however.
With wild zones, rogue Pokemon outbreaks, ranked nighttime battles, detective side quests, population research tasks, and faction-based storylines,Pokemon Legends: Z-A’s Lumiose City is starting to resemble something more akin to a pressure cooker than a hub. It’s ambitious, sure, but cramming so many mechanics into one urban area could end up backfiring in the end. If it’s all not carefully placed and paced,Pokemon Legends: Z-Acould turn what should be a rewarding and immersivePokemonexperience into something that feels repetitive, bloated, and maybe even downright claustrophobic at times.
Pokemon Legends: Z-A’s One-City Design Risks Overstuffing an Already Crowded Formula
Each System Sounds Strong, But Stacking Them Could Break the Flow
On their own, most ofPokemon Legends: Z-A’s gameplay systems sound exciting. The idea of battlingrogue Mega Evolutionsin the wild, solving mysteries alongside detective Emma, and climbing the competitive ladder through nighttime ranked battles all sound like worthwhile ways to rack up some hours in the game. Then there’s the worldbuilding happening in the background through factions like the Rust Syndicate and Team MZ, both of which are likely rooted in deeper storylines within Lumiose itself. Add in all the different Pokemon players will be able to find as they explore Lumiose, andPokemon Legends: Z-Alooks like it could have more going on than anyPokemongame before it.
With wild zones, rogue Pokemon outbreaks, ranked nighttime battles, detective side quests, population research tasks, and faction-based storylines,Pokemon Legends: Z-A’s Lumiose City is starting to resemble something more akin to a pressure cooker than a hub.
However, stuffing all of that into a single city means things could get stacked high rather quickly, and not necessarily in a clean and organized way.Open-world gamesdo tend to overdo it with content at times and become bloated as a result, but at least they have the size to compensate for layers upon layers of activities.Pokemon Legends: Z-A’s Lumiose City, on the other hand, almost seems like it’s trying to be an open-world game even though it isn’t one. Instead of enhancing the game’s variety, all of these systems at play could make the flow of gameplay feel choppy, scattered, and out of breath. It’s the kind of design that could be fun for a few hours, only for exhaustion and burnout to set in by the umpteenth time players have accomplished something.
Lumiose’s Narrow Scope May Limit Exploration and Replay Value
The appeal ofPokemon Legends: Arceuswasn’t just in its mechanics, but in the way those mechanics gradually unfolded across its sprawling world that gave the game’s pacing some room to breathe.Pokemon Legends: Z-Ais taking a different approach by shrinking that sense of scale into a dense, urban core. While that’s not inherently a bad thing,Arceushad somethingZ-Amay not have being stuck in one location: environmental diversity.Pokemon Legends: Z-Adoes have its day-night cycleto occasionally shake things up, but as players circle through districts, alleyways, and plazas, things could get old really fast, regardless of whether they’re tackling a variety of activities.
Pokemon Legends: Z-A’s replay value might also take a hit if the city doesn’t somehow evolve as the game progresses. InArceus, new areas were unlocked and revisited with different traversal options, which in turn allowed its world to feel continuously fresh. IfPokemonLegends:Z-A’s Lumiosejust stays static, however, then all of its content might feel like a one-off. Of course, time will tell just how well Lumiose City does as the game’s only location, especially considering the fact that it still feels like not much of it has been shown off.
