For as long as I can remember, I\u2019ve wanted to review a new Pok\u00e9mon game. Game Freak\u2019s series has been one of my few lifelong obsessions, and these last couple of weeks, I finally got what I wanted, as I was given the reins for our Pok\u00e9mon Legends: Z-A review. I\u2019m happy to report that this certainly isn\u2019t a case of being careful what you wish for. No, this, in many ways, is the sort of monster-taming adventure I\u2019d always dreamed of, just not in every way.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s start with the basics. For those who don\u2019t know, Pok\u00e9mon Legends: Z-A is a spin-off from the main series, much like 2022\u2019s Pok\u00e9mon Legends: Arceus. Whereas a regular Pok\u00e9mon game has a whole region for you to explore, in Z-A, Lumiose City is your playground, with the urban area divided up between Wild Zones, where Pok\u00e9mon live, and civilian areas. Your player character isn\u2019t a Lumiose native, though, so the city is just as new to you as it is to them during the opening sequence of the game, which, as fans of the series might anticipate, involves a lot of hand-holding for the first couple of hours.<\/p>\n
In terms of story, I can\u2019t reveal all that much, but Legends: Z-A weaves a tale of pretty epic proportions that finds its center in Mega Evolution. It\u2019s pretty linear at first, as you find your bearings in Lumiose, but after that, you can pick up side missions in between your main quests, which adds a nice bit of variety and serves as a way to introduce you to new mechanics or gift you free Pok\u00e9mon.<\/p>\n