I’ve always adored Pokémon’s classic turn-based battles. For almost three decades, Game Freak has masterfully refined this rock-paper-scissors style combat, introducing fresh mechanics and exciting gimmicks with each new generation. But with Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the developers are daring to completely reimagine what a Pokémon battle can be. Initially, this ambitious change gave me a moment of hesitation. However, after spending nearly two hours experiencing the game firsthand, I’m thrilled to say they just might have perfected it.
Your journey in Pokémon Legends: Z-A begins with a train ride into the bustling Lumiose City. Unlike its predecessor, Arceus, this adventure unfolds in the present, specifically after the events of Pokémon X and Y. Stepping out of the station, you’re greeted by a fellow trainer – either Taunie or Urbain – who offers you a choice of starter Pokémon: Chikorita, Totodile, or Tepig. Without much hesitation (Totodile was the obvious choice!), I was quickly transported into a ‘Wild Zone’ a few hours into the game.
These ‘Wild Zones’ are pockets of untamed nature nestled within Lumiose City, teeming with Pokémon ready for capture. The particular zone I explored was buzzing with Houndours and Bunearys. While significantly smaller than the sprawling landscapes of Arceus, covering just a few city blocks, Z-A leverages Lumiose City’s urban density and vertical design to its advantage. I discovered hidden items and special encounters tucked away in back alleys and on rooftops – including a formidable Level 40 Alpha Pikachu that promptly blasted me off a multi-story building and decimated much of my team! Thankfully, charming cafes are sprinkled throughout these zones, offering a quick Pokémon heal for a small fee. If your party is fully knocked out, or you fall in battle, you’re safely returned to a Pokémon Center outside the Wild Zone.
Players familiar with Legends Arceus will find Z-A‘s catching mechanics comforting; the core experience remains largely the same. You’ll still stealthily approach unsuspecting Pokémon, aim carefully, and toss a Poké Ball. Should you be spotted, you can always send out one of your own Pokémon to weaken the target before attempting another capture. The system is as intuitive as ever, though my session offered fewer tools. In Arceus, we had Smoke Bombs for cover, berries for distraction, and mud balls for stunning, but these weren’t present in my demo. It’s yet to be revealed if these tools have been completely removed from Z-A or simply weren’t accessible in this early build.
During this portion of the demo, I was also encouraged to experiment with Z-A‘s character creator. Much like Scarlet and Violet, you can access the customization screen directly from the menu, allowing you to instantly change your character’s hair and facial features. What truly impressed me was the extensive wardrobe; Z-A boasts far more clothing options than its predecessors. While time constraints prevented me from diving too deep, it’s clear there will be a vast array of fashion accessories to combine and express your unique style.
Following my adventures in the Wild Zone, I ventured into the ‘Z-A Royale’ – a thrilling city-wide tournament. This event challenges trainers to ascend through various ranks by defeating increasingly formidable opponents. Every night, trainers converge across Lumiose City, and you must best them in battle to earn a coveted ‘Challenger Ticket.’ Amass enough points, and you’ll qualify for a ‘Promotion Match’ to climb higher in the ranks.
Strategy is paramount. When you command an attack, your Pokémon intelligently positions itself to connect, then momentarily locks into place. This tactical moment opens them to potential counter-attacks, making every move count.
In the Z-A Royale, trainers wander the city streets under the cover of night, their Pokémon always at the ready. If you manage to catch an opponent by surprise, you’ll land some free damage before the real fight begins. Initially, the combat feels far more dynamic and fast-paced than traditional Pokémon battles. Attacks operate on a cooldown system, allowing you to unleash moves without waiting for your opponent’s turn. However, this doesn’t mean you can disregard your foe. Every move possesses a ‘speed rating’ that dictates its wind-up time. Some attacks might leave your Pokémon vulnerable for a longer duration, while others can be executed almost instantly. For instance, Quick Attack maintains its classic priority, swiftly outpacing slower moves like Flame Wheel, which now require a brief charge-up.
Furthermore, classic moves such as Whirlwind, Double Team, and Toxic Spikes have been ingeniously re-envisioned for this new battle system. Traditionally, Whirlwind would force an opponent to switch Pokémon; in Z-A, it now shoves the opposing Pokémon backward, creating tactical space. Double Team, similar to Protect, grants your Pokémon temporary invulnerability. And Toxic Spikes, which used to punish incoming Pokémon, now deploy physical traps on the battlefield that can poison any opponent who steps on them. Witnessing these reimagined moves in action was a personal highlight, and I can already envision countless strategic possibilities using Pokémon’s extensive move pool.
While navigating the designated Z-A Royale zones, you’ll stumble upon ‘Battle Tickets.’ These present specific challenges that, upon completion, reward you with additional points. In my play session, these tasks varied from executing sneak attacks to exploiting type weaknesses. They were generally straightforward, often achievable within a single battle with a bit of planning. My only hope is that these Battle Tickets scale in difficulty as you advance, preventing them from becoming repetitive chores. Actively completing these challenges while defeating trainers proved to be the quickest route to climbing the Z-A Royale ranks, and within about 15 minutes, I was already preparing for my Promotion Match.
Promotion Matches serve as Z-A‘s exciting interpretation of traditional gym battles. These grand encounters unfold in dedicated arenas, not on the city streets, meaning there’s no opportunity for a sneaky advantage. My opponent was a chef-trainer wielding Simisage, Simipour, and Simisear. While I handled his team without much difficulty, his battle strategy felt noticeably more defensive than the standard trainers I’d faced. He was particularly quick to deploy Protect against my super effective moves. By his final Pokémon, I had learned to be more calculated with my attacks, carefully considering his Protect’s usage and cooldown.
The demo culminated in a chaotic and exhilarating showdown against a Mega Victreebell, which mirrored the intense Mega Absol encounter from my initial hands-on experience. This Mega Victreebell unleashed a barrage of attacks, forcing me to strategically seek openings for my Houndoom to land super effective blows. As I inflicted damage, glowing orbs appeared across the arena, eventually allowing me to activate my own Pokémon’s Mega Evolution. However, Mega Evolved Pokémon can only sustain this powerful form for a limited time; once the on-screen meter depletes, they revert to their standard state. Gathering additional orbs can briefly prolong Mega Evolution, but not significantly. Despite having other Mega-capable Pokémon, I chose Houndoom for its undeniable fire-type advantage. Yet, even with this advantage, Mega Victreebell managed to defeat my Houndoom, prompting me to switch to another Pokémon and quickly heal Houndoom with items.
These intense encounters evoke memories of the Frenzied Pokémon battles from Pokémon Legends: Arceus. The key distinction, however, is that you no longer need to subdue the boss with balms before engaging in combat. Instead, you’re commanding attacks and actively dodging environmental hazards from the very start. These battles are far more dynamic, demanding your simultaneous attention to positioning, managing attack cooldowns, and monitoring HP bars. While my initial experience wasn’t overly challenging, the underlying depth suggests these fights could become quite formidable later in the game.
During every segment of my demo, Pokémon Legends: Z-A performed flawlessly on a docked Nintendo Switch 2. While precise frame rate measurements require more rigorous testing, it appeared to maintain a smooth 60 frames per second with no discernible performance issues. Naturally, Pokémon Legends: Z-A is also slated for release on the original Nintendo Switch, and its performance on that older hardware remains an open question. One can only hope it runs more smoothly than Arceus and Scarlet and Violet, but we’ll have to wait for its launch next month to find out. Despite Z-A‘s promising showing, many questions still linger. After roughly two hours of playtime, I haven’t had the chance to fully explore Lumiose City at my leisure. What other secrets does this vibrant city hold? How deeply does it connect to the lore of Pokémon X and Y? Will we see new regional forms, similar to those in Arceus? And what about multiplayer? We anticipate receiving answers to these and more questions very soon, as Pokémon Legends: Z-A launches on October 16, 2025.