Pokemon Legends: Z-A – 8 Best Changes To The Franchise’s Gameplay, Ranked

Pokémon Legends: Z-A was released on October 16, 2025, after the longest gap between main series Pokémon games in history. The previous installment, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, came out on November 18, 2022 – nearly three years earlier. Because of this long wait, excitement for the new game was very high, and early signs suggest fans are enjoying it despite a few problems.

The newest main Pokémon game, *Legends: Z-A*, continues the story of *Pokémon Legends: Arceus*. *Arceus* was celebrated for its innovative approach that moved away from traditional Pokémon gameplay, and *Legends: Z-A* builds on that by making even more significant changes. Here are the most important updates to the game.

Better Clothing Options

Players Can Wear Any Clothes Or Accessories, Regardless Of Their Avatar’s Appearance

Pokémon Legends: Z-A continues the style of Pokémon X and Y, which first let players personalize their character’s appearance with different clothes and hairstyles. Pokémon Legends: Z-A expands on this feature, offering even more customization options.

Players now have nearly unlimited choices when it comes to customizing their character’s clothes, accessories, bags, and hair. Unlike in older games like *X and Y* or *Sword and Shield*, where male-presenting characters had fewer clothing options, *Legends: Z-A* lets everyone wear whatever they want. This means any character can rock skirts, crop tops, shorts, dresses, and all sorts of other styles.

Wild Zones

Most Wild Pokemon Appear In These Specific Areas

A particularly unusual feature of *Pokemon Legends: Z-A* is that the game is entirely set within Lumiose City, which means fewer areas to discover wild Pokemon. To address this, the developers at Game Freak have introduced new areas called Wild Zones – unique locations designed for finding Pokemon in the wild.

In Legends: Z-A, Wild Zones are small, abandoned areas where players can find and catch various wild Pokémon. Though you might occasionally see Pokémon outside these zones—like on rooftops—most Pokémon catching happens within them. This design choice initially feels a little unusual, but it’s a smart way to create random encounters without disrupting the realistic city environment of Lumiose City. Plus, as you advance in the game’s story, you’ll unlock new Wild Zones, keeping the gameplay fresh and exciting.

Battle Zones

Random Trainer Encounters Are A Thing Of The Past

The city isn’t just divided for wild Pokemon; trainers also have special areas called Battle Zones. Each night, a different location in the city is randomly selected, and all trainers competing in the Z-A Royale gather there for challenging Pokemon battles.

Unlike previous games, you won’t stumble into random battles with trainers in Legends: Z-A. Battles happen within specific areas, making the gameplay feel more connected and immersive. While it might seem stressful, there’s a time limit to win as many battles as you can, but the quick combat lets you finish a lot before time runs out. Plus, it’s simple to restart battle areas – just rest on a bench and speed up time with a single button press.

Sneaking Around Opponents

Get The Advantage In Battle

Pokémon Legends: Arceus changed how players caught Pokémon, making it more active and less about traditional turn-based battles. You could sneak up on wild Pokémon and increase your chances of catching them by throwing a Poké Ball before they spotted you. Pokémon Legends: Z-A uses a similar idea, but with a key difference: this new game emphasizes trainer battles more than catching wild Pokémon.

In the Battle Zone of *Pokemon Legends: Z-A*, players can sneak around opponents by crouching. If undetected, they can send out a Pokemon to attack before a battle officially starts, potentially dealing significant damage or even knocking out the enemy. This adds a new layer of strategy and challenge to the game, as carefully avoiding other trainers is key.

Bonus Cards

Get More Rewards By Completing Specific Objectives

Players earn medals and Ticket Points by winning battles in Battle Zones. Medals turn into money at the end of each night, and Ticket Points unlock the next Promotion Match. You can boost these rewards even more by finding Bonus Cards hidden throughout the Battle Zone and completing the challenges on those cards.

Bonus Cards introduce a variety of conditions to battles, like using a certain type of move, knocking out an opponent before the battle starts, or Mega Evolving a Pokémon during combat. They make gameplay more interesting and provide an extra challenge for players who find battles too easy. Hopefully, this type of bonus objective will be included in future main series *Pokémon* games.

Rogue Mega Evolution

Boss Fights Are Intense, Challenging, And Very Fun

Honestly, one of the coolest things Legends: Arceus did was add those boss fights with the Noble Pokemon. It was so much fun having to dodge their attacks and then send out my team to actually wear them down – they had *tons* of HP! It really felt like a fresh take on the usual Pokemon battles. And thankfully, Pokemon Legends: Z-A didn’t just bring those fights back, they actually made them even better. It’s a huge improvement!

The game features a new challenge called Rogue Mega Evolution, where wild Pokémon unexpectedly transform and become incredibly aggressive. Players must dodge their strong attacks while battling them with their own Pokémon to calm them down. These intense boss battles are a key part of the game and feel like a natural improvement over previous boss encounters. Hopefully, future Pokémon games will include similar battles, particularly during important story scenes.

Temporary Mega Evolution

Legends: Z-A Fixed This Battle Mechanic’s Biggest Problem

It’s easy to see why Game Freak dropped Mega Evolution in Generation 7. The battle mechanic was significantly flawed and often overpowered. Once a Pokémon held its Mega Stone and was Mega Evolved with a simple button press, it could easily dominate opponents for the rest of the battle. Plus, these powerful forms were very difficult to defeat unless you also had a Mega Evolved Pokémon of your own.

Pokémon Legends: Z-A brings back Mega Evolution after a seven-year gap, and it’s been updated to be more fair and fun. To Mega Evolve a Pokémon, players now need to charge up a ‘Mega Gauge’ by battling and collecting special orbs. Once a Pokémon Mega Evolves, the gauge gradually empties, eventually reverting the Pokémon to its original form. This new system makes Mega Evolution easier to use and more engaging.

The New Combat System

Pokemon Has Finally Dipped Its Toes Into Real-Time Combat

As a long-time Pokémon fan, I’ve always loved the core gameplay, even though it’s been turn-based for years. Game Freak has kept things fresh with cool additions like Double Battles and Mega Evolutions, but honestly, I’ve always dreamed of a main Pokémon game where battles happen in real-time, where you actually *see* the action unfold. And with *Pokémon Legends: Z-A*, it’s finally happening! It’s a dream come true!

Battles in this game are much more dynamic than previous installments. Both the trainer and Pokémon can move around the arena, allowing players to strategically aim attacks and dodge incoming ones. This creates a fast-paced and exciting experience that’s also surprisingly thoughtful. Fans have loved this new approach, and it’s likely to influence how future *Pokémon* games are made.

2025-10-20 04:08