And yet, we are not the only outlet which has been getting reacquainted with Kalos; oh no! Reviews are rolling in across the board and there’s actually a pretty wide range of opinions.
We’ve assembled the following round up to give you an idea of the critical consensus, picking out all the different view points so you can get a snapshot image of the overall reception. We should also point out that all of the following are for the Switch 2 version only.
We’ll kick things off right at the top of the spectrum, with VGC‘s 5/5 review billing Legends: Z-A “the best Pokémon game in many years”:
In many areas, it feels like a massive departure for the series, with its new battle system and Z-A Royale structure, in particular, paying off, and once again proving that the Legends series is home to the most interesting ideas Game Freak has.
TechRadar Gaming went ever so slightly lower in its 4.5/5 review, praising the how the game reinvigorates the classic formula, and packs in a cracking story and soundtrack to boot:
It finds a way to simultaneously mix things up while gripping perfectly to a few core Pokémon pillars such that the end result can feel very different yet very recognisable all at once.
Opting for a 4/5, GamesRadar vibed with the worldbuilding and battle system, but felt the scope of Lumiose City was perhaps a little too small:
Pokemon Legends: Z-A may not be the perfect open world adventure, but its slice of life vibes and brilliant battle system changes are a real delight, and I hope this isn’t the last we see of its innovations.
Pocket Tactics went for a similar 8/10, saying that the focus on battles, solid performance and overall bravery of the damn thing is enough to outweigh its shortcomings:
This game might be the bravest and boldest effort from Game Freak in as long as I can remember, and the developer is successful in a lot of ways
It was a 7/10 for GFinity, where the outlet found Lumiose City’s “claustrophobic” design to be a real tripping point:
Revisiting an area in modern times in Legends felt like a good idea when I first started the game, but upon reflection, traveling back to the more ancient time in Arceus felt like a much fresher experience.
Finally, Eurogamer awarded Legends: Z-A a 3/5, describing it as “proof of concept” for a much bigger, better game:
What we have is a kind of proof of concept. But the concept is so good that you can’t help but feel a little frustrated to be teased with it.
And yet, we are not the only outlet which has been getting reacquainted with Kalos; oh no! Reviews are rolling in across the board and there’s actually a pretty wide range of opinions.
We’ve assembled the following round up to give you an idea of the critical consensus, picking out all the different view points so you can get a snapshot image of the overall reception. We should also point out that all of the following are for the Switch 2 version only.
We’ll kick things off right at the top of the spectrum, with VGC‘s 5/5 review billing Legends: Z-A “the best Pokémon game in many years”:
In many areas, it feels like a massive departure for the series, with its new battle system and Z-A Royale structure, in particular, paying off, and once again proving that the Legends series is home to the most interesting ideas Game Freak has.
TechRadar Gaming went ever so slightly lower in its 4.5/5 review, praising the how the game reinvigorates the classic formula, and packs in a cracking story and soundtrack to boot:
It finds a way to simultaneously mix things up while gripping perfectly to a few core Pokémon pillars such that the end result can feel very different yet very recognisable all at once.
Opting for a 4/5, GamesRadar vibed with the worldbuilding and battle system, but felt the scope of Lumiose City was perhaps a little too small:
Pokemon Legends: Z-A may not be the perfect open world adventure, but its slice of life vibes and brilliant battle system changes are a real delight, and I hope this isn’t the last we see of its innovations.
Pocket Tactics went for a similar 8/10, saying that the focus on battles, solid performance and overall bravery of the damn thing is enough to outweigh its shortcomings:
This game might be the bravest and boldest effort from Game Freak in as long as I can remember, and the developer is successful in a lot of ways
It was a 7/10 for GFinity, where the outlet found Lumiose City’s “claustrophobic” design to be a real tripping point:
Revisiting an area in modern times in Legends felt like a good idea when I first started the game, but upon reflection, traveling back to the more ancient time in Arceus felt like a much fresher experience.
Finally, Eurogamer awarded Legends: Z-A a 3/5, describing it as “proof of concept” for a much bigger, better game:
What we have is a kind of proof of concept. But the concept is so good that you can’t help but feel a little frustrated to be teased with it.
