The first playable demo of Pokémon Legends: Z-A, set to release on October 16, has left me with a mix of excitement and curiosity about its battle system. I played two ten-minute segments, covering the early game’s Battling in the Z-A Royale mission. While the system showed promise, it also raised some questions that need answering.
The core gameplay loop involves earning ticket points through trainer battles to participate in Promotion Matches and upgrade ranks from Z to Y. However, what sets Legends: Z-A apart is its real-time action battle mechanics. Instead of turn-based turns, players use Z-Targeting by holding the ZL button and pressing face buttons to instruct their Pokémon which move to use.
The moves don’t have Power Points (PP), allowing for unlimited uses with cooldowns. While this mechanic is innovative, I found it challenging to adapt to the lack of feedback on when a move can be used again. The battle actions appear on the right side of the screen, but missing attacks seem to go unnoticed.
Trainer battles offer an entertaining system where opponents will attack without warning, leading to guaranteed critical hits if not defended against. However, this tactic feels out of character for Pokémon, and I found myself using it despite its unpolished nature.
The demo’s second segment pitted me against a Rogue Mega-Evolved Absol, requiring dodging and collecting Mega Power orbs to Mega Evolve my Pokémon. While the fight was more engaging than trainer battles, I felt that the real-time battle system didn’t quite feel like an action game, but rather more like an MMO with its cooldowns and behind-the-scenes math.
With only twenty minutes of gameplay under my belt, it’s too soon to say whether this system will scratch the strategy itch Pokémon games usually do for me. The demo has left me eager to play more and experience the full potential of Legends: Z-A’s battle system when it releases on October 16.
Source: https://nordic.ign.com/pokemon-legends-z-a/97776/preview/pokemon-legends-z-a-battle-system-first-impressions