Pokemon Legends: Z-A could show us yet another side of the RPG's history, building on what made Arceus so special
Feb. 27, 2024Opinion | Pokemon Legends Z-A has reinvigorated my excitement for Pokemon with the potential it may hold
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It’s why, withthe reveal of Pokemon Legends Z-Aduring thePokemon Day Pokemon Present showcase, I’m so excited for what’s to come. While the trailer gave us very little to go on, what it does tease already looks intriguing. If Arceus tried to show us how Pokemon and humans learned to live with each other,Pokemon Legends: Z-Apromises to let us once again see a new side to an established region. From what we’ve seen, it appears that we’re about to get to explore how a city came to be designed to foster Pokemon and people living together in harmony, and I can’t stop thinking about just what that means.
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In the trailer, we see the urban redevelopment plans for the city, with a blueprint-style run-through of the location as it’s being built up. Said to be set entirely within Lumiose, it seems very likely that the game will follow the story of how the area in the region was urbanized to the parisian-style city we come to know in X and Y, one that develops on the seeds that were first planted in Arceus to create an environment where people and Pokemon can live together in harmony.
But what part will we have to play? Well, if Arceus saw us surveying the lands to better understand Pokemon and improve our relationship with the critters, then we could instead be setting out to establish the various boulevards of the city as some kind of city planner who strives to foster the same harmonious lifestyle that began to take shape in the Hisui region. Just as Arcues saw us travel back in time at the beginning of the game, the very title of the next Pokemon Legends entry also suggests we’ll be rewinding back to the beginning of the region – from Z to A – to see how that part of the Kalos region became the burgeoning city we know.
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With no gameplay shown, we’ll have to wait to see what direction Pokemon Legends Z-A goes in, but the potential it has to deliver us another refreshing experience that does something new is beyond exciting. Scarlet and Violet may have left me feeling disappointed, but Arceus is undoubtedly a personal favorite, and just the mention of another game that follows suit is enough to make me feel reinvigorated about a series that holds such a special place in my heart.
Here are all the entries in thePokemon Legends: Z-A Pokedexwe’ve spotted so far.
I started out writing for the games section of a student-run website as an undergrad, and continued to write about games in my free time during retail and temp jobs for a number of years. Eventually, I earned an MA in magazine journalism at Cardiff University, and soon after got my first official role in the industry as a content editor for Stuff magazine. After writing about all things tech and games-related, I then did a brief stint as a freelancer before I landed my role as a staff writer here at GamesRadar+. Now I get to write features, previews, and reviews, and when I’m not doing that, you can usually find me lost in any one of the Dragon Age or Mass Effect games, tucking into another delightful indie, or drinking far too much tea for my own good.
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