Pokemon Legends: Z-A: 13 Things To Know Before Starting

"Pokémon Legends: Z-A makes some pretty notable changes to the series' typical formula. Its battles take place in real-time, it makes the Mega Evolution mechanic a cooldown, and it has several different mission types to juggle while you're catching and training monsters. That means even series veterans are starting from zero on some things, so before you head into Lumiose City, here are a few helpful tips to make the most of your stay at Hotel Z."

"The entire game takes place in Lumiose City, a Paris-inspired metropolis you pass through in the original 3DS RPGs. There are returning characters and storylines that come up in 's stories and sidequests, so if you've never played through the original Kalos games or haven't played them in a while, I recommend either reading a summary or watching a recap as a refresher. That way, you'll know why it's significant that AZ is running your hotel, or that Emma has a full-time detective job,"

"Prepare yourself: This game is handholdy for a while Sometimes I wish games would give me the option to interrupt NPCs with a Ron Swanson "I know more than you" when they insist on tutorializing every little thing. Like, aw, you think I don't know what a Potion is, or that I'm not on a first-name basis with every Nurse Joy from here to Kanto?"

Pokémon Legends: Z-A shifts the franchise into a real-time battle system, converts Mega Evolution into a cooldown ability, and introduces multiple mission types for capture and training. The entire story takes place in Lumiose City, a Paris-inspired metropolis with returning characters and Kalos-era storylines, including the presence of AZ and Detective Emma. Players unfamiliar with the original Kalos games should refresh their knowledge to understand returning plot points. The game begins with lengthy, restrictive tutorials that limit movement for several in-game days via the Rotom phone, after which the city becomes freely explorable. Classic moves are adjusted to fit real-time combat.

Read at Kotaku