Review: Pokémon Z-A – A Frustrating Step Sideways With Flashes of Real Potential

A technically improved Pokémon game held back by weak characters, too much dialogue and boring world

Available on: Nintendo Switch

Amazon Physical Copies*: Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch

Genre: Adventure, Action, Creature Catcher, Battling

Developer: Gamefreak

Publisher: Nintendo

How Cozy? ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Game Verdict: ⭐⭐/5

*Some links in this post are affiliate links. If you buy through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting the pod! 🫶

As a lifelong Pokémon fan, this is a difficult review to write.

I’ve loved Pokémon since childhood, right back to my first pack of Pokémon cards in primary school, which we played so much they were eventually banned. I’ve bought every mainline Pokémon game across every console, even as the series has steadily declined since the Diamond and Pearl remasters.

There was a genuine spark of hope with Pokémon Legends: Arceus. Its open world structure, real time turn based battles, and manual Poké Ball throwing felt like meaningful evolution. It wasn’t perfect, the graphics, story, and characters were weak, but it was better. It felt like Pokémon trying something new.

So when Pokémon Legends: Z-A was announced as part of the Arceus style branch, I was genuinely excited. Unfortunately, while it improves on a few mechanics, it ultimately falls back into the same disappointing patterns that have been holding the series back for years.

Story

The story in Pokémon Z-A is exhausting. The characters are some of the most insufferable I’ve encountered in any Pokémon game, constantly talking, explaining, interrupting, and padding out an already flimsy plot with endless dialogue that says very little. It often feels like hours of filler standing between you and the parts of the game that actually matter.

While recency bias might play a role here, the sheer volume of dialogue makes it impossible to ignore. NPCs rarely move, animations feel clunky and inhuman, and the city setting never feels alive. Instead, it feels like being trapped in an overgrown first town, too big, too flat, and with nowhere truly new to go.

Related: Looking for more casual adventure games?
Check out my list of top casual adventures and transport to new cozy worlds

Gameplay

Pokémon Z-A’s biggest strength is its battle system. Building on Legends: Arceus, the improved Poké Ball throwing feels genuinely good, and the real time turn based combat is easily one of the best mechanics Pokémon has introduced in years. The light tension of positioning, timing, and engagement works extremely well, and I hope this system becomes the standard moving forward.

Unfortunately, many of the surrounding systems let it down. The Z-A progression system is poorly implemented. While the idea is fine in theory, skipping over nearly 20 letters at one point completely undermines its purpose, making progression feel arbitrary and pointless.

Mega Evolutions are another major frustration. While the designs are strong, the battles themselves are tedious. You Mega Evolve, they Mega Evolve, and suddenly you’re back at the same power level, except now the fight drags on painfully slowly. It’s a problem that started with Sword and Shield’s Gigantamax system, and it continues here: flashy, unnecessary mechanics that add friction rather than depth to an already solid battle system.

The task system is… fine. Finding Pokémon of certain sizes, completing mini battles, locating missing Pokémon, none of it is bad, and it does keep you moving. But it’s clearly there to replace gyms rather than meaningfully expand the game.

Wild Zones are the biggest missed opportunity. Pokémon fans want one thing above all else: to catch Pokémon. And while the Pokémon designs themselves are fantastic, seeing a Pikachu pop up or an Eevee hiding in hedges still sparks genuine joy, each zone only contains around eight Pokémon. You can catch everything in half an hour, and then it’s back to hours of dialogue and filler.

Graphics and Visuals

Pokémon Z-A runs better than Violet and Arceus, which is worth acknowledging. Pokémon models look great, and the Pokemon designs remain one of the series’ strongest points.

However, the environments lack variety, personality, and atmosphere. NPCs feel static, the city feels lifeless, and the lack of distinct regions or climates makes exploration feel flat from start to finish.

The map isn’t small, but it is boring. Buildings look the same, streets blur together, and the overwhelming number of shops and cafés quickly becomes tedious. Yes, they all sell different items, but standing in front of shop windows comparing jackets and hats becomes frustrating rather than fun.

Longevity

Despite everything, I put 60 hours into Pokémon Z-A, because, like many Pokémon fans, I simply can’t resist the core loop of catching, levelling, evolving, and battling.

There is a lot of content here. The late night battle sequences were a highlight, offering chained battles, ticket rewards, and power cards that let you customise your battles to your strongest Pokémon. This system worked well and felt like a genuinely refreshing alternative to traditional gyms. Clothing customisation is also improved, with more variety and better designs than previous entries.

Conclusion

Pokémon Z-A is a deeply frustrating game because it shows clear signs of what Pokémon could be, but refuses to fully commit.

It runs better than recent titles, the battle system is genuinely strong, and catching Pokémon still delivers that familiar thrill rooted in childhood nostalgia. But weak characters, dreadful dialogue, tedious systems, and a boring world make it hard to recommend at its €80 price tag, especially with an additional €30 DLC.

Is there enough content to justify the cost? Yes.
Are all of those hours enjoyable? Absolutely not.

If you’re prepared to button mash through endless dialogue and are here purely for Pokémon catching, you’ll probably still have a good time. But for a series with this much history and potential, Pokémon Z-A feels like another missed opportunity.

Looking for more Creature Catcher Games?

Affiliate Reminder: I may earn a small commission if you purchase through any of the links in this post. Thank you for your support! 🫶