Pokemon Legends: Z-A Is Reinventing Pokemon Battles And I Couldn't Be More Thrilled

"I love Pokemon's turn-based battle mechanics. For nearly 30 years, Game Freak has tuned its rock-paper-scissors style combat to near perfection. Different generations have added new mechanics and gimmicks to keep things fresh, but Pokemon's battles have always been built around turn-based combat. With Pokemon Legends: Z-A, however, Game Freak aims to redefine what a Pokemon battle is, a fact which, naturally, gave me some pause. Yet after nearly two hours with the game, I'm convinced they might have pulled it off."

"Pokemon Legends: Z-A opens with your character arriving in Lumiose City by train. Unlike Arceus, there is no time travel; Z-A takes place in the present after the events of Pokemon X and Y. Outside of the train station you meet a trainer, either Taunie or Urbain depending on who you pick, who will give you a starter Pokemon: Chikorita, Totodile, or Tepig."

"Wild Zones are scattered throughout Lumiose City and are home to wild Pokemon waiting to be caught. The zone I explored was crawling with Houndours and Bunearys. The Wild Zone covered a few blocks of Lumiose City, and was much smaller than the expansive areas we saw in Arceus. Based on a few quick glances at the map, this zone seems like one of the smaller ones, but even the larger Wild Zones appeared to be much smaller than any of the regions from Arceus."

Pokemon Legends: Z-A aims to redefine Pokemon battles by shifting away from traditional turn-based combat toward new mechanics. The game begins with the player arriving in Lumiose City and receiving a starter—Chikorita, Totodile, or Tepig—before entering Wild Zones. Wild Zones are scattered around Lumiose City, populated with wild Pokemon and offering vertical exploration, alleys, and rooftops. These zones are generally smaller than Arceus regions but use urban density for hidden items and special encounters, including powerful Alpha Pokemon. Cafes within Wild Zones heal Pokemon for a fee, and being knocked out returns the player to an outside Pokemon Center. Approximately two hours of gameplay suggest the new approach may work.

Read at GameSpot