When the “Legends” sub-series of the Pokémon franchise debuted with Pokémon Legends: Arceus, many long-time fans were unsure what to expect, including me. The title took a bold gamble: it stripped back many of the franchise’s familiar mechanics, embraced open-world exploration, encouraged spontaneous catching, and de-emphasised traditional gym battles in favour of new forms of engagement. Something that was only found in Sun & Moon before, and didn’t receive the positive feedback the Pokémon Company hoped for. However, the gamble paid off: Arceus felt fresh, adventurous, and surprisingly deep for a Pokémon game. It carved out a place in the franchise history as one of the more memorable entries. With Legends Z-A, the team at Game Freak returns to the “Legends” sandbox, but with a different region, a different vibe, and a confident ambition to build upon what Arceus achieved while pushing the formula further. The pressure is real, but the game largely rises to the occasion.
Story of Legends Z-A
Legends Z-A takes you to the iconic and stylish region of Kalos, specifically to the urban, fashion-forward hub of Lumiose City, inspired by Paris. (Yes, Pokémon meets Paris-style chic.) The city is undergoing redevelopment: glass towers, cafés, boutiques, museums, and plazas overlay a region whose history is tied to ancient forces of Pokémon and human endeavour alike. In Legends Z-A, you’re a Trainer joining the local organisation (Team MZ) tasked with managing a new challenge. Lumiose City is under attack by rogue Mega-Evolved Pokémon, and it’s tied to a weird energy source that’s linked to the city’s redevelopment project. Could this be the legacy of an old-school Pokémon villain? I, for one, am happy that they tied in parts of the original Pokémon X&Y story, since I think (next to the story found in Black & White (2), it’s one of the darkest stories found in the Pokémon franchise.
Does it shake up the whole Pokémon setting? Yes and no, since you now have to climb ranks, resolve threats, but also fill out your Pokédex. But by placing you amid a bustling urban environment (rather than the wilderness of Arceus), the game gives that framework a fresh coat of paint. The sense of place is strong: strolling through city lights with your partner Pokémon, pausing at a café, hearing the bustle of street life, it adds character. I found myself invested not just in “catching ’em all” but in living in Kalos for a while – and it even reminded me of my visit to Paris just last year. There are some trade-offs: because the setting is more urban and compact than the wide-open wilderness of Arceus, the world occasionally feels a bit tighter, less sprawling. Some parts of the city feel ‘repeated’, but overall, it’s a narrative that works and serves the game’s mechanics well.
Battle and catching mechanics in Z-A
If there’s one area where Legends Z-A really spreads its wings, it’s the combat and capture systems. Building on Arceus’s open-world catching, this game leans into a more dynamic, real-time battle system. Gone (for the most part) are the strictly turn-based encounters; here, you move, dodge, select moves in real time, engage with stealth, ranged, and close combat moves, and make use of the environment. And yes, rest assured, capturing remains a joy. While Arceus emphasised surprise, stealth, and ambush (throwing you off the classic Pokémon rhythm), Z-A still lets you sneak up, set up your approach, and feel that sense of “ah, yes, I found you” when you finally nab that rare one you wanted to add to your team. But it complements that with more fluid battles among Trainers, wild Pokémon, and Rogue Mega Evolutions, even adding the sense of actual Area of Effect attacks.
And then there is the return of, and evolution of (see what I did there, the Mega Evolution system (more on that next). In typical battles, you’ll also be collecting orbs, “Mega Energy”, exploring wild zones embedded in urban spaces, and toggling between tactical team setup and action-oriented combat. The flow is smoother than in Arceus, and battles feel more alive. One area to address, though, for those who loved Arceus’s sense of wilderness freedom, you might occasionally feel the city-structure of Z-A slightly restrictive. Some wild zones are tucked behind city districts, and the looping battle club segments can repeat. But honestly, the fun more than compensates, and it felt more … fitting for the style of game the Legends series is becoming.
Mega Evolutions: a major highlight
Let’s get to the heart of one of Z-A’s biggest selling points: the new (and returning) Mega Evolutions. Yes, the mechanic that many fans had been longing for since it last appeared in the core series has finally returned with fresh twists. In Z-A, Mega Evolution isn’t just a one-time gimmick per battle; you can build up a “Mega‐Gauge” or collect “Mega Energy/orbs” through battle actions, and trigger multiple Mega Evolutions (or repeat the effect) in the same fight, depending on your build. This opens up strategic depth: when to trigger, how many times, which Pokémon to invest in, especially since the stones aren’t easy to acquire nor cheap to buy. The roster is a joy for fans: classics like Mega Charizard X/Y, Mega Lucario, Mega Gardevoir are back, and on top, the game adds new ones—Mega Hawlucha, Mega Starmie (yes, controversial, and reminiscent of that one SpongeBob Squarepants episode), and new Kalos-only megas. For my part, seeing this mechanic re-imaged in such a lively battle context was a genuine highlight and one that was long overdue for a well-thought-out return.
It also ties into story and setting: the rogue Mega-Evolved Pokémon that spark the game’s narrative give Mega Evolution a mythic place, not just a battle gimmick. However! There are some sidenotes to my positive view on the Mega Evolution system. You have to keep in mind that some of the Mega Stones (especially for the Kalos starters) are locked behind online ranked battle modes and paid-for DLC, which may frustrate purely single-player-oriented trainers. Rest assured, though, the online battles are easy enough to complete, and the needed ranks for the Mega stones (Gregninja is a reward for season 1) are objectively obtainable for those who play through the story. However, it raises the question of how to get them after the season ends. And despite those wrinkles, for someone like me who enjoys battling and experimenting with team builds, the Mega system in Z-A is deeply satisfying. It gives you freedom, a feel-good moment when you trigger it, and beautiful visuals and animation to boot.
Avatar-customisation and fashion (Paris meets Pokémon)
An element that really made me smile was how Legends Z-A leans into style and self-expression. Since you’re in a city inspired by Paris, surrounded by boutiques, cafés, and urban plazas, the game gives you the chance to customise your avatar in ways Arceus didn’t emphasise. You pick your outfit, choose accessories, mix and match styles, and reflect your personality. It’s more than aesthetics: your trainer feels like a citizen of Kalos, strolling past street art, meeting friends, showing off your style at a café or Pokémon centre. That kind of personal flavour adds a relaxed “day in the city” vibe to the otherwise action-packed catching and battling. Fashion in real life is about identity, self-expression, being seen, and yes, even status. Z-A translates that into the Pokémon world seamlessly: your avatar isn’t just the vessel you play through the story, but a visible participant in the world-space. It adds immersion, and I found myself swapping outfits just for fun, willing to explore corners of the city I might have otherwise ignored. That combination of big-game mechanics and small personal touches is one of the understated successes of this title.
The new online battle system: time for four-player mayhem
One of the most significant additions here is the robust online battle structure. While Arceus focused almost entirely on single-player, Z-A gives you a multiplayer playground: four-player real-time battle arenas, “Z-A Battle Club” style modes, ranked matches, and link-battle fun. Imagine dropping into an arena with up to three other trainers in real-time, battling with your team, scrambling for orbs that trigger Mega Evolutions mid-match, racking up knock-outs, respawning, and fighting for high score or last-trainer-standing. It’s chaotic, fun, vibrant. The moment you and a friend pull off a synced Mega call-out and the arena spills into high gear, that’s where Z-A shines. The integration of Mega Evolutions into this mode elevates it: the “when” and “how” you Mega can tilt the match. However, ranked battles can be steep if you’re just in it for fun rather than competitiveness. But overall, it adds huge replay value and injects freshness into the Pokémon battle formula.
Conclusion
So where does that leave us? For me, Pokémon Legends Z-A is a strong, positive step forward in the “Legends” branch of the series. It honours the spirit of Arceus — the sense of exploration, of surprise catching, and Pokémon as partners, while introducing meaningful, fun-driven innovations: real-time battle, revived and re-imagined Mega Evolutions, avatar fashion in a city setting, and a lively online multiformat battle system. The focus remains on having fun rather than purely “doing things because tradition says so.” And to be honest, that’s refreshing. If you’re a trainer who wants to experiment with builds, chase styled looks, drop into friends’ battles, or freshly enjoy the world of Kalos, this game delivers.
Of course, it’s not all perfect. The shift from wilderness to city means some of the “wide open world” feeling of Arceus is softened. Some Mega unlocks feel gated, a few design choices don’t land for all players, and if you were deeply drawn to the pure freedom of Arceus, you might find Z-A slightly more structured. But these are welcome trade-offs given how much the game offers. In the end, I’m having a blast playing. I found myself wandering the streets of Lumiose City with my Pokémon, diving into battles, customising outfits, testing Mega combos, jumping into multiplayer with friends—there was joy. If you loved Arceus and want to see the next chapter of the Legends formula, explore a city, bring back Mega Evolution in a bold way, and deliver plenty of fun mechanics, you’ll want to give Z-A a go. And if you’re new to the Legends series? This is a very good place to start.
