Summary
- Older protagonist offers a fresh perspective.
- More mature storyline shifts toward urban fantasy.
- Battle Royale mode and combat system changes.
Pokemon Legends Z-A has finally revealed more details about this new iteration in the franchise that has fans eagerly waiting for their return to Lumiose City. In a modern setting that combines some of the best aspects of Legends Arceus with brand-new features that are quite exciting to see in a Pokemon game, this game will be different from everything fans have seen before.
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This ranked list spotlights some of the coolest new features that Pokemon Legends Z-A will bring to the table, including changes to its combat system, the way people interact with Pokemon, and even some highly requested animation changes that have been on Game Freak’s to-do list for quite some time.
6
An Older Protagonist
The Franchise Is Officially Abandoning Childhood
One of the oldest and most characteristic features of the franchise has always been its protagonist: a child (10-year old +) leaving their home for the first time to embark on a Pokemon Adventure. This premise has been repeated as part of the Canon (and the lore in general) for nearly three decades.
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But, in Pokemon Legends Arceus we caught a glimpse of what would become a foothold for a much more mature protagonist taking over the leading role. Now, in Pokemon Legends: Z-A, trainers will take control of an older MC who seems to be past his teen years (allegedly). Given the height of the characters, the design, and the clothes they wear, it might be possible that fans of the franchise will finally be growing up past their second decade. And that is a great thing.
5
A More Mature Storyline
More Urban-Fantasy, Less Fantasy-Adventure
Most of the Pokemon Games fans have seen so far tend to make a particular emphasis on fantasy-adventure and the travels across the wilderness as part of the ‘Pokemon Journey’, the main premise of the franchise. But, in Legends Arceus players assumed a different role for the first time ever since Pokemon Ranger.
This was only a prelude to what was to come when Pokemon Legends: Z-A was finally announced, and fans witnessed a significant change in the game’s core narrative. Now, players are mere visitors in a new and vibrant metropolis, where humans and Pokemon coexist as best as they can. The city itself seems to be undergoing urban redevelopment to empower this symbiosis, and a mysterious corporation called Quasar seems to be behind this massive project. But things might not be as simple as they seem, and this new urban fantasy setting might hide a similar tale where cooperative greed might trigger another ‘Alola incident.’ Let’s hope we do not have to face another Lusamine.
4
Battle Royale Mode
An Intriguing New Feature
The last teaser of Pokemon Legends: Z-A showcased a new and interesting feature: a Battle Royale where trainers face each other in a battle for supremacy, and a Ranking System determines which of them takes the final prize home: the granting of a wish by the mysterious sponsor of this tournament. So, a new type of combat motivation is a great addition to the plot and makes fans think of new and cool developments that can lead far from the traditional League Tournaments.
In Pokemon Scarlet & Violet, Game Freak experimented with the 3-path system that involved several activities that players could complete in order to progress with the story. And they had absolute freedom to do so while they explored the huge Paldea. Now, this new feature involving a nocturnal tournament seems to point to a cycle of exploring by day and battling by night. This brings to mind Gen 2 games, where day-night cycles influenced the appearance of more trainers willing to battle.
3
Changes To The Combat System
Mobility Will Play A Crucial Role
One of the highly requested changes that fans have been clamoring to have in the Pokemon franchise is a new (modern) combat system that privileges freedom of movement and abandons the static turn-based mode that has been quite characteristic of JRPGs all across the board. In Pokemon Legends: Z-A, fans will finally have what they’ve been requesting: a more complex, mobility-based system where aiming and timing will be the key, and the skills of the trainers will be tested.
A precursor of this new feature could be seen in the latest DLC for Pokemon Scarlet And Violet: The Indigo Disk, thanks to the Synchro Machine, one of the most popular additions of Gen 9 games. It seems that the mechanic itself got repurposed, and now players will be able to move alongside their Pokemon during battles.
2
More Detailed Pokemon Animations
A Detail That Many Fans Seem To Have Missed
One of the details that drew more attention during the showcase is the fact that some Pokemon will once more undergo Mega Evolution. But there’s yet another important feature hidden in plain sight, one that has been bugging the fans ever since the franchise jumped from 2.5D to 3D: Pokemon animations. In Pokemon Legends Z-A trailers, those fans attentive to detail will be able to observe that even the middle animations for Pokemon during battle have been tweaked considerably.
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Creature designs, movement, and facial expressions look better than ever: a most welcome change to the old near-static animations from past games. So, yes, there’s a quality spike right there, hidden in plain sight. Even if some of the most detracting voices have complained about how the game looks in the pre-release footage, the truth is that the final result might be better than what they could anticipate. Trainers will have to wait and see for themselves, but the future looks quite promising.
1
Z-A Ranking Instead Of Gym System
A New And Interesting Proposal For Progression
With Pokemon Legends Z-A a new progression system will arrive to the franchise: that of PvE Rankings. So far, the only time trainers had to worry about their ranking was during PvP action in competitive scenes, but now, it would seem that this has finally jumped to the PvE overworld as well.
The Rankings (from Z to A) are deeply related to the title of this new adventure, and the fact that players need to reach the maximum rank (A) to make their wishes come true is something that adds an extra layer of importance to battling, and raises the stakes even more than just a mere championship. This change might stick for future iterations if fans like how Pokemon Legends Z-A handles the ranking system, and that would mean the beginning of a new age for the franchise.
