X
Pokémon Legends: Z-A takes all the elements that made Arceus fun and refreshing and elevates them to new heights with the introduction of its real-time battle system.
Oct 14, 2025
Nintendo Switch 2
I’m sure of it: beyond its imperfections and the unfinished business Game Freak has yet to resolve, Pokémon Legends: Z-A marks the first step in a smart direction—one that aligns with what many fans have been asking for over the years and shows particular respect for the legacy it inherits from the most successful franchise in history. I’m convinced we’re looking at one of those special games, one of those one-in-a-million experiments that end up working out. This time, Game Freak, you have my full attention.
Oct 14, 2025
Nintendo Switch 2
Pokemon Legends: Z-A
Released On: Oct 16, 2025
81
User Score
User reviews are not available yet
tbd
Where to Buy
Pokémon Legends: Z-A takes all the elements that made Arceus fun and refreshing and elevates them to new heights with the introduction of its real-time battle system.
Oct 14, 2025
Nintendo Switch 2
I’m sure of it: beyond its imperfections and the unfinished business Game Freak has yet to resolve, Pokémon Legends: Z-A marks the first step in a smart direction—one that aligns with what many fans have been asking for over the years and shows particular respect for the legacy it inherits from the most successful franchise in history. I’m convinced we’re looking at one of those special games, one of those one-in-a-million experiments that end up working out. This time, Game Freak, you have my full attention.
Oct 14, 2025
Nintendo Switch 2
Where to Buy
All Platforms
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 42 Critic Reviews
81
83% Positive
35 Reviews
35 Reviews
17% Mixed
7 Reviews
7 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 42 Critic Reviews
81
83% Positive
35 Reviews
35 Reviews
17% Mixed
7 Reviews
7 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Oct 14, 2025
Unlike the most recent Pokémon Scarlet & Violet, Pokémon Legends: Z-A is a game that really holds your attention. The spiritual successor to Legends Arceus, it’s learned from the mistakes of the distant past and beautifully shows what city life is like in the Pokémon universe. I can see myself playing this for another hundred hours as I finish my Pokédex, shiny hunt and generally have a great time. This is easily the best Pokémon game on the market.
Oct 14, 2025
Two games in, it’s clear now that the Legends subtitle is for experimental ideas and gameplay concepts. Pokémon Legends: Z-A experiments a lot, taking big swings with its action combat system and smaller, more focused world, but it’s a very successful experiment and hopefully a sign of great things to come for the Pokémon franchise. Minor quibbles aside, Legends: Z-A very quickly became my favourite Pokémon game in the modern era, and probably the best Pokémon game in years.
Oct 14, 2025
Pokémon Legends Z-A is one of the most intelligent entries in Game Freak's recent games. The studio knew how to build key new mechanics such as the real time combat with the enough focus in the little details. There's things that still have potential to improve, but overall our stay in Lumiose City was great.
Oct 14, 2025
Playing Pokemon Legends: Z-A just felt good. I enjoyed exploring the city, collecting side missions, and gathering clothes to craft my ideal outfit. Not every mechanic is a win, and some of the platforming elements of exploring the city felt a bit clunky, but it’s a game that had me wanting to come back for more. I appreciated having a bit more of a straightforward story than in games like Pokemon Scarlet & Violet, while still having plenty of side content to immerse myself in. The main story is a good length, and with all those side missions and hidden areas to explore, I can easily see myself sinking many more hours into Legends: Z-A even after the credits roll.
Oct 14, 2025
Z-A marks a new beginning. A Pokémon game that isn't scared to be different, and delivers the joy of playing something entirely new. If Legends: Arceus was the experiment, Z-A is the final result. And, honestly, it's the Pokémon game for which I've been waiting for years.
Oct 14, 2025
Pokémon Legends: Z-A isn't the break with the past that some might have hoped for, but it's a good Pokémon game that introduces a fun new battle system to the series and marks the return of Mega Evolutions, in a setting that will be familiar to fans and welcoming to anyone experiencing the world of Pokémon for the first time. The game suffers a bit from its cross-gen nature and its Nintendo Switch origins in terms of graphics, but this time around performance is not to be faulted. Pokémon Legends: Z-A is a great game, then, with many strengths, and it also has the value and quality of ending on a high note. For this very reason, however, it's even more disappointing to see the shortcomings of yet another Pokémon game that fails to reach the excellence it perhaps could and should have aspired to.
Oct 14, 2025
Lumiose City could do with work, but Pokémon Legends: Z-A is a much more tightly focused - and delightfully goofy - return to better form. At least by modern Pokémon's standards.
User Reviews
tbd
Summary A new adventure awaits within Lumiose City, where an urban redevelopment plan is underway to shape the city into a place that belongs to both people and Pokémon.
Rated E +10
for Everyone +10
Platforms:
- Nintendo Switch
- Nintendo Switch 2
Initial Release Date: Oct 16, 2025
Developer:
Publisher:
Nintendo
Genres:
