The battles inPokémon Legends: Z-Adiverge heavily from the franchise’s traditional mechanics, and will likely set the standard for gameplay in the Generation 10 games going forward.Legends: Z-Aposes an interesting combination of innovative and returning features, with the most notable of the latter undoubtedly being Mega Evolution. However, as interesting as the game will be on its own terms, it is also worth remembering the effect it will inevitably have on the games that come after it.
EveryPokémongame has built upon those that come before it, with many elements evolving from earlier concepts and carrying forward into later titles.Legends Z-Aitself is already proving itself to be full of potential in this regard. For example,Mega Evolution may become more than a gimmick, thanks to far more being possible within the games compared to the mechanic’s debut inPokémon X and Y. Likewise,the way thatLegends: Z-Atreats battlesis arguably the biggest change that the franchise has seen to the formula yet, and this will presumably be echoed in future titles.
Legends: Z-A Will Have Real-Time Action Combat
The Combat System Is A New Direction For The Franchise
Until now, battles inPokémongames have always followed a turn-based formula, with strategies hinging around factors such as Stats and the priority of different moves. Now, however,Legends: Z-Ais making a dramatic shift to a far more freeform type of combat. Battles in the new game will now revolve around charging times for moves, their areas of effect, and other such considerations. As a result, the timing of the player themselves in issuing their commands and performing other actions will now be of vital importance.
Pokémon appear to position themselves in relation to their trainer, making the protagonist much more directly involved in battles as they must move around the battlefield personally.
Real-time action is a first for the series, althoughLegends: Arceusdid arguably lay the groundwork for itin some respects. Although Pokémon battles remained turn-based for the most part, the fact that the protagonist can move around as their Pokémon battle is easy to see as a precursor toLegends: Z-A’s own take on battling. Moreover, the way that the protagonist inLegends: Arceuscan be attacked directly by wild Pokémon, with attacks traveling through the overworld, also feeds directly into what can now be seen taking place in Lumiose City.
Of course, the effects of specific moves may be dramatically impacted by this. For example, moves like Fly and Dig, which generally render their users invulnerable for a short time, will now presumably have specific durations linked to this period. This means that attacking a Pokémon with these moves will not necessarily risk a turn being lost, but instead rely on careful maneuvering and timing to dodge an attack and respond in kind. On the other hand,Mega Evolution inLegends: Z-Ais unlikely to differ wildly from previous depictions, although there may likewise be limiting factors on its usage.
Legends: Arceus Gameplay Teased Changes For Scarlet & Violet
A Variety Of Interesting Gameplay Features Debuted In the First Legends Game
Asdifferent as thePokémonLegendsgames arefrom other titles in the franchise,Legends: Arceushas already proven that they can still have a strong effect on subsequent games. For example, beginning with the firstLegendstitle, Pokémon no longer forget Moves in exchange for newer ones; instead, any moves they learn can now be switched out at any time from their known roster for use in battle. This change made adjusting movesets far easier than in earlier titles, and then proved to be equally convenient when it was included inPokémon Scarlet and Violet.
Of course,the Gen 9 paired titles do not use everyLegends: Arceusfeature, but it is still clear thatPokémon Scarlet and Violetlearned valuable lessonsfrom their predecessor. The various quality of life improvements made inLegends: Arceusmade gameplay smoother in several respects, andScarlet and Violetdid well to incorporate these as well. Other than the changes to moves, other such changes include the ability to send out a Pokémon at any time, which clearly led to the Let’s Go! mechanic inScarlet and Violet.
Pokémon Legends: Z - A’s Setting Is Cool, But I’m Still Not Convinced It’ll Work
After seeing more of the details that were revealed for Pokémon Legends: Z-A, including information about Lumiose City, I am concerned.
AlthoughLegends: Arceusdiffers strongly from the traditionalPokémonformula, it is still counted as a part of the core series, with many of its gameplay changes then feeding back into the next paired titles. As such, it is far from unreasonable to assume that many of the changes thatLegends: Z-Awill make will likely be carried forward into the paired Gen 10 games. Of course, some adjustments may be made to these features in Gen 10, especially in response to player feedback, but the central ideas will undoubtedly remain recognizable.
Z-A Combat Will Likely Make Its Way Into Gen 10 Games
The New Battle System Would Have A Major Impact On The Franchise
With all this in mind,it seems extremely likely thatLegends: Z-A’s battle system will be used in Generation 10instead of traditional turn-based gameplay. Naturally, this would be a major turning point for the franchise, but ifLegends: Z-Aproves the feature’s viability, there would be little reason to immediately set it aside. Of course, there may still be changes made to the mechanic over time, but the main concept of real-time action would ultimately remain the same asa feature forPokémon’s Gen 10 games.
It is worth noting that not every player will necessarily be happy with this change, especially if it becomes a standard part of the franchise moving forward.Turn-based and real-time action each require very different tactics, so the effect on competitive gameplay in particular would be immense. Furthermore, some people may dislike thePokémongames losing a key part of their core gameplay like this, as it could arguably alter the identity of thePokémongames as a whole.
I’ll Be Disappointed If Pokemon Legends: Z-A Doesn’t Bring Back My Favorite Kalos Feature
If you’re anything like me, you have high expectations for Pokemon Legends: Z-A; there’s one thing that can help retain a nostalgic X and Y vibe.
The gameplay ofLegends: Arceusserved as a direct precursor toPokémon Scarlet and Violetin many ways, and the next addition to the franchise will presumably be much the same.Pokémon Legends: Z-Ahas been revealed to have an incredibly unique gameplay for battles, and there is a strong possibility that it too will provide the template for other upcoming games in the franchise. As a result, its battle mechanic could mark the beginning of a new era for the franchise as a whole.
