Pokémon Legends Z-A has a lot going for it. It is adding even more drastic changes from the mainline releases, just like its predecessor, Arceus, did back in 2022, and features the series' first ever single-area location, in the form of Lumiose City. There is a lot of potential in the new features that Pokémon Legends Z-A is adding, especially when it comes to the real-time combat that it is borrowing from Nintendo's other franchise, Xenoblade Chronicles. This could take the entire franchise in a new and exciting direction, especially if Game Freak has managed to pull it off.

However, as much as these changes will be for the best, they also risk changing too much, especially when it comes to the formula that Arceus established for the Legends spin-off series. Legends Arceus is a masterpiece, largely thanks to the risks it dared to take to branch off from the constraints of the main games. Pokémon Legends Z-A's biggest change from Arceus could undo all of that hard work as it threatens to upset the balance and completely transform the experience. While Z-A should take risks too, one change may have pushed it too far in the wrong direction.

Legends: Arceus' Challenge Came From Its Difficulty

It Was Risky To Explore

Pokémon Legends Arceus was a surprisingly challenging game. While its general Pokémon battles were relatively similar to those of the mainline series, its open-area exploration came with a substantial amount of risk. Each area was surrounded by angry Pokémon that attacked on sight, hurting the player even before they'd had a chance to throw out their favorite Pokémon. This feature facilitated the introduction of stealth into a Pokémon game, something the series had never had a need for before, as the player was always safe so long as they had a full party on hand.

This level of challenge is what made Pokémon Legends Arceus different from the mainline games and helped it stand out as not just any old spin-off, but a worthy successor to the overly-familiar Pokémon formula. It gave stakes to running around in tall grass, something that felt apt for both its time period and Arceus' novel catching methods, which, in turn, made exploration daring and exciting. Of course, Arceus was capable of moments of genuine serenity, helped by its phenomenal soundtrack, and these were further elevated by those moments of tension mere minutes before.

It was a perfect balancing act, one that ensured that players weren't constantly swamped by deadly foes, gave them an enemy to aspire to defeat, and a reason to engage with every mechanic Pokémon Legends Arceus had up its sleeve. Game Freak created the perfect Pokémon experience with Arceus' level of difficulty, which is something that those who had grown tired of the formulaic structure of the mainline series perhaps thought wasn't possible. However, much like how Scarlet and Violet did away with Arceus' best mechanics, it appears that Pokémon Legends Z-A has too.

Threats Seem Less Common In Pokémon Legends Z-A

Lumiose City Seems Fairly Safe

Pokémon Legends Z-A is set entirely within Lumiose City, a location from Pokémon X & Y. It's a bustling area filled with shops, cafés, hotels, homes, and the towering gym at the heart of the city. During the events of Z-A, Lumiose City is undergoing an urban redevelopment project, with sections of the city being set aside for its Pokémon population. While the idea of setting a Pokémon game entirely in one city is ittedly quite interesting, Lumiose City is a mistake for a number of reasons, namely, because it conflicts with everything that Pokémon Legends Arceus had established years ago.

As Lumiose City is inhabited by people and Pokémon, there is no danger while exploring it. Players can venture across the city, visit shops, and take in the sights without having to worry about an angry Ursaring trying to tear their head off. This robs the Pokémon Legends series of its crowning achievement: a sense of real danger in a world full of wild and potentially vicious Pokémon. Of course, there are the Wild Zones, areas full of wild Pokémon that will engage the player in battle, but as these are designated areas, it makes them a lot less threatening.

This absence of difficulty means that Legends Z-A's setting won't work on a fundamental level. It is cool that Game Freak has brought to life this sprawling location, but if it is devoid of any real risk or challenge, then exploration will feel as exciting as wandering across Scarlet and Violet's hollow and empty towns. It is a shame, as ultimately Arceus' difficulty wasn't just a gimmick or a means of allowing Game Freak to experiment more, but rather was the foundation that made the entire experience actually fun. Taking that away from Z-A could make it boring in comparison.

Arceus' Difficulty Is What Made It Fun, & Z-A May Be Missing That

Z-A Could Feel Completely Different

Not every Pokémon Legends game needs to be the same. In fact, the Pokémon Legends series should exist to give Game Freak the opportunity to try new ideas and mechanics that it otherwise feels it can't with the mainline games. That's what made Arceus such a refreshing experience, and it would be a shame to rob that from Pokémon Legends Z-A. However, it also seems a shame to do away with the things that truly worked in Arceus, especially when the mainline games haven't incorporated them, meaning players don't really have another opportunity to experience them outside of replaying it.

Pokémon Legends Arceus' fun didn't come exclusively from its difficulty, but that was a huge component of it and something that influenced the enjoyment one got from all of its other areas. Completing the Pokédex would have felt like a chore and a significantly easier task if there wasn't a level of risk involved in capturing Pokémon. Similarly, the whole premise of enraged Pokémon wouldn't have worked if the player couldn't be attacked in the open world. It also helped to make Pokémon Legends Arceus feel genuinely immersive, something the mainline games have never really achieved.

Pokémon Legends Z-A is implementing its own novel features, including real-time Pokémon battles. However, as great as they are, it would have been interesting to see how its new ideas could have merged with Arceus' to create what would likely be the definitive Pokémon experience. Unfortunately, Game Freak risks doing things by halves if it culls the best elements of its previous work. Ultimately, Pokémon Legends Z-A will likely be another triumph for the developer and praised for its own risks, but one can only hope that Game Freak brings back Arceus' difficulty for the next Legends game.