Pokemon Legends: Z-A is almost perfect - but two things hold it back

There's nothing quite like starting up a new Pokemon game, picking your starter and embarking on a grand adventure, catching 'em all and building up the perfect squad to battle other trainers and to be the very best (like no-one ever was).

That fantastic, familiar feeling has returned to me in spades with Pokemon Legends: Z-A on the Nintendo Switch 2 as I've grinned my way through the first handful of missions so far, getting to grips with the game's mechanics.

That's because there's a new battle system this time around and I'm actively learning new mechanics while finding my feet again with the new concepts introduced in Pokemon Legends: Arceus.

And it all gives a familiar franchise a dose of something different with Pokemon Legends: Z-A, I've been loving my time with it so far - but it's not perfect and there are already a couple of key things that have stood out.

Pokemon Legends: Z-A has successfully given me that new Pokemon game feeling I used to get as a kid / Game Freak, The Pokemon Company & Nintendo

Let's start with the positives. It's a new Pokemon game! Who doesn't love a Pokemon game?

The catching system from Legends: Arceus is back, which makes catching Pokemon a lot easier, quicker and much more addictive for me. You can sneak up on Pokemon, use your Pokemon to take down their health and catch them. Successful or failed capture attempts are so much quicker. Every Pokemon in your party gains XP from winning battles and catching other Pokemon.

Now, the new battle system is terrific from my early impressions. It's much more active this time and you can move your Pokemon around. Each move has a cooldown before it can be used again so you're really encouraged to use all four moves.

It's so easy to swap Pokemon in and out and the touch of a button too. You don't need a menu for it and it's great at keeping things feeling as though they're constantly moving forward. Your box is available on the fly too.

Early on, when getting to the first zone where you can catch Pokemon, it almost became an addiction to catch all of the ones in that specific area. Usually, I try to capture ones I come across but I don't usually go out of my way to do so unless there's one in an area I really want.

However I quickly became fixated on catching them all in this first zone regardless. And this has kept happening in each new zone I've come to so far. I've been fully ensnared by this loop and I wouldn't have it any other way.

As always with Pokemon games, the soundtrack is amazing too. It swells in bigger moments and is very calming when in the city.

Decisions, decisions... / Game Freak, The Pokemon Company & Nintendo

Now for the gripes. The first is that some of the textures up close look pretty bad. They're blurry, lacking detail and appear to be a bit of an afterthought it feels.

In 2025, on new Nintendo Switch 2 hardware especially, that doesn't really cut it, especially with how much discourse there has previously been among gamers about Pokemon titles not keeping up with modern expectations in that regard.

Having said that, aside from some of the textures the game, on the whole it does look good at 2160p and 60fps when docked and at the same refresh rate at 1080p in handheld mode.

The second is nothing new to the Pokemon series but playing through what I have of Legends: Z-A, there are some moments where it's so obviously lacking - and that's in the voice acting.

I understand there is scarcely any, if none at all, in this game. Again, not something that's new for Pokemon and for a fair number of Nintendo games in general it must be said, but there are moments where that sorely sticks out in 2025 on a game of this scale.

Critics who have been lucky enough to review Pokemon Legends: Z-A already and play through it have also said there is a distinct lack of exploration they feel is missing.

I've been enjoying the early missions, side quests and going off the beaten path too much to notice that yet but that could yet come to the fore to me.

I'm still loving Pokemon Legends: Z-A despite its imperfections / Game Freak, The Pokemon Company & Nintendo

A lot is made online about Pokemon games being viewed very differently to other games, and I understand the criticisms of that to a point.

But let's be honest, you play Pokemon games for very different reasons to a number of other games out there, I know I do - they're just plain fun, you can sit back and just enjoy yourself and they allow you to express yourself in so many different ways.

That can be how you want to compose your party, the different moves you can teach your Pokemon, your approach to battles and, in the later titles and even more so than ever in Legends: Z-A, how you want your trainer to look.

And these games offer so many memorable moments. Every person's Pokemon journey is unique and personal to them.

Pokemon Legends: Z-A is not perfect and there are some things that do hold it back by today's standards - but I don't mind that, I still absolutely love it because the game itself is just so darn good.

I can't wait to dive back into Lumiose City to find out more of what's to come and to test my mettle against other trainers online.

Pokemon Legends: Z-A is shaping up to be a thoroughly addictive and enjoyable game / Game Freak, The Pokemon Company & Nintendo

To note, Nintendo very kindly provided us with a Switch 2 launch code so I'm nowhere near completing the game, these are my thoughts from the first handful of missions and the first few hours.

Pokemon Legends: Z-A is out now on Nintendo Switch 2 and the original Switch.

Elsewhere from indy100:

• Pokemon Legends: Z-A - Watch what happens when you leave Lumiose City
• Pokemon leak 'reveals' games for next five years - there's one in particular fans are loving

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